The Ninth Fall
by AnotherMaskedWriter
Summary: A world hostile and cold to the newly emerged Monsters, a family destroyed by circumstance, an unfulfilled heir to the non-existent Dreemurr throne, and a troubled child who falls into the underground long after its gone empty. The child's lonely journey won't be easy, for the forgotten ghosts of Ebott stir. Not for the faint of heart, story contains explicit adult subject matter.
1. Prologue - Exhaustion

THE NINTH FALL – Prologue "Exhaustion."

* * *

 **-Many Years Ago-**

 **-211X-**

* * *

"When can I see my family again?" I ask the man in the black suit. A high ranking government official, an older man who's as tired as I am, I've sure created a lot of work for him, and all of his colleagues.

"Once we deem it safe for you to leave." He says.

I'm in protection right now, but I don't feel all that safe, not that my safety matters, I just rather not have to repeat this day again.

Drab white walls, plain ol' chairs, boring table, its a government building alright.

I adjust myself in the chair, to get a bit more comfortable, before deciding to get up and mosey on to the window. Very thick panes of glass meant to keep bullets out, and keep people in.

Welp, they know I'm here. There's a cavalcade of angry people in the streets, bustling about with all sorts of hateful messages printed on signs. All people that want my family dead.

This isn't gonna be easy, but if anyone can do it, its me.

"So I take it I'm not leaving anytime soon?" I ask to my political cohort.

"We'll get you out sometime soon Frisk."

* * *

My name is Frisk Dreemurr, and I just unleashed a living myth unto the world.

A week ago, I walked to our city hall, and with proof and a very careful selection of words, told the authorities that I represented the now free Monster kingdom. Scrutiny turned into confusion, which erupted into terror. They kept it a secret for all of three days, before publicly addressing the world, as part of our agreement.

To say the world has lost its mind would be an understatement.

"I hope my family has been sufficiently protected and treated well?" I ask sternly to the Mayor, who is riding with me. We're in the back of an armored convoy, usually the type only reserved for presidents or CEO's.

"Yes, your family and other envoys are in a camp we set up outside Ebott. It's being guarded by the military, so there's not a chance a stranger got in."

I keep my stance as I lean back into the leather seat, my feet only barely hitting the floor. "And why should I trust the military? They're as much a stranger as anyone else, armed strangers at that."

"They are special forces, not your average countrymen. I _assure_ you, they are safe." He accentuates the end, obviously annoyed.

We sit in silence for a bit. We may be allies, but I don't necessarily trust him yet.

"Frisk. You're... very well spoken for a young child. I'm surprised by your grasp of law, and even more of your language and communication..." He says, obviously unsure about something.

"Yes?" I cautiously ask.

"How am I supposed to know you aren't a Monster taking the form of a Human child, or that you aren't being held against your will with specific instruction? You speak better then some of my secretary's, and can cite specific laws. Your school's records on you say you failed most of your tests, and you refuse to see your parents, even though they say they _really_ want to see you. Add on to that you were down there less then a _week_ , and now you apparently represent the entire faction as an adopted princess? I need to know I, and the prime minister can trust you. Because this is all _really_ fishy." He keeps an even tone, even as he stares a hole through me, but I don't let it get to me, I've already been through this.

I prepare my truths and lies.

* * *

"You did a great job today, my child." My adoptive mother tells me as we sit together on the perch just outside the exit of the underground. The sunset eases my mental exhaustion, the view of the city's many towers and buildings refract the gentle orange light.

"Thanks..." I say, before letting loose a loud yawn. "How's it feel to be queen again?" I ask her.

"As much as I'd prefer _not_ to be associated with the king, its for the greater good. Its difficult however, those Humans are so bureaucratic and boring. I almost fell asleep during the meeting!" I laugh a bit, Toriel isn't dead serious about this like Asgore is, though he has more pressure on him.

"Does that make me a princess?" I ask playfully, mirroring the mayors words.

"I suppose so... but I really don't think you should take the Dreemurr name." She says. "What makes you say that?" I ask her. "Its cursed. _'No easy life for a Dreemurr'_ is how the old saying goes, call it superstition, but its held true. You're probably better off with your old name." She says with a similarly playful air. "I'd rather a 'cursed' name then my old one." I say as she giggles a bit.

"You need some sleep, and some food. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow." She starts to go into mother mode, as she has a stern, yet kind smirk looking at me. "I'm pretty sure _every_ day ahead of me is going to be long for months." I say before another yawn.

She stands up, and does a bit of a stretch, before a yawn of her own. "I have to go back to New Home, makes sure everyone is behaving, hopefully Asgore hasn't said anything stupid... I'll be back at the camp shortly, you behave too Frisk." She says before giving me hug as I stand up, before heading into the underground.

The walk down to the camp is nice, I can hear birds chirping, crickets cricketing, and other sounds of nature. Its a late summer night alright, not too hot though. I come up to the camp after a short few minutes of walking, the entrance of the camp is guarded by two military people, dark green fatigues, body armor, and service rifles, the works. "Hi!" I be nice to them.

They respond with silence. I sigh, and walk between them into the camp.

Its a couple of large tents encased by a barbwire fence, feels more like an imprisonment then a political meeting ground. We've tried to make it a bit more homely though, we got a campfire set up, with a bunch of logs around it. Sometimes we stay up and tell stories or just talk, its a great way for everyone to learn more about me.

I see a certain two brothers sitting around the campfire.

"heya frisk." Sans greets me. "GREETINGS!" his brother, Papyrus greets me too. "You guys staying lively?" I ask, as I sit on the log opposite to the two they're sitting on. "trying too. not much to do." Sans eternal grimace doesn't falter. "SANS HAS TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TORMENT ME, AS ALWAYS."

"its honest work, and someones gotta do it." Sans says smugly, before lounging on the log. "Sans, you really shouldn't... And **tibia** honest, I shouldn't either." I say with a smug grin of my own. "YOU TOO?!" Papyrus squeals, and falls off his log, his legs shaking in the air. "Take it easy guys." I say after a quick laugh, and get up, and head towards one of the other tents.

The inside of the tent is nothing too special, a few cots and a table with some chairs. All bland government stuff.

I'm suddenly picked up like a stiff plank of wood. "Frisk! Good to see ya!" Undyne says as she holds me over her head. "Hey, good to see you too!" I say as the side of my body drags against the ceiling of the tent. "Uh... could you put me down?" I ask. "No problem!"

"How'd the day go? Boring Human stuff as usual?"

"You know it."

"Hey Alphys how you doin?" I raise my voice a bit to address the Monster in the corner of the room, shes sitting on a cot, absorbed by her portable computer thing. "HUMAN INTERNET IS AMAZING." Alphys gushes. "I'm glad she's having fun with Human stuff, cuz I'm not. Its taking all of my SUPER WILLPOWER not to suplex those cronies every time they talk to us." Undyne finishes with a flex. "I appreciate your patience, its hard work for all of us." I try to reassure her, I know how hard this must be for her, just two weeks ago she had no idea she'd be on the surface playing buddy buddy with the Humans she hated. "Speaking of which, I need to go talk to Asgore. I just wanted to come check in on you guys nice and fast."

"No problem." "See ya Frisk!"

There's two other tents here at the camp, one smaller one meant for sleeping, one bigger one meant for meetings, which I'm sure Asgore has spent a lot of time in today, maybe he's still in there? I enter the boring dark green tent, and see him with his head on the desk in the center, the tents only feature. A center of negotiations, all sorts of documents are spread about the table. I quietly move towards him, and scooch up a chair.

I nudge his shoulder "hey, you alright?" I ask him. He stirs for a minute, before I repeat the nudge. I'm not gonna let him fall asleep here, he needs to be in a bed. He groans before finally waking, a look of confusion on his furry face as he looks around the room, before it turns into a smile as he glances at me.

"Howdy... Frisk" he yawns "how was your day?" he puts his hand on my shoulder before yawning again. "Busy and boring." I try to be honest. "I agree. Stressful as well, the weight of my people on my shoulders again... I have to be perfect, for them."

I let out a nervous laugh. "Don't take it too seriously. If anything goes wrong, no matter how bad, I can and will fix it. Trust me on that, okay?" I try to reassure him, the king is too hard on himself.

He looks at me blankly for a second, before letting loose a meaty laugh. "I understand. I should have guessed earlier. I take it today didn't take too long then?"

"Longer then I would have liked." I say with disappointment, as I eye some of the documents on the table. A mess of legal terms and political jargon, something I'm sure I'll get used to soon. "The prime minister is a nice man, I don't think he is intimidated by me anymore. I gave him a sweater I knit yesterday, I hope he likes it."

"That's good." I smile at his antics, that's so like him. "We're lucky then, the last thing we needed was a leader who was hostile with us. This is gonna be enough of an uphill battle, we didn't need the guy at the top to push us to the bottom." I add.

"We'll do it Frisk, together."

"Thanks. Alright, I'm going to go now, Toriel should be back soon with food." I say, scooching my chair back. "Before you leave..." Asgore says as I get up, prompting me to look towards him again.

"Me and the prime minister talked about you for a short moment. He said your parents wanted to see you, and that you vehemently refused to see them. Why did you lie to us? You said your parents were long dead." He asks with concern, his frown telling.

I look the other way in embarrassment, I didn't want him to find out.

"You should really see them, even if you don't like them. They-" I cut him off "I want you to trust me on this, more than anything else I've asked of you. I've made my decision, I never want to see them ever again. I'm sorry I lied, I didn't think they would reach out like this." I plead to him, trying to stay calm.

"What did they do to you?" Asgore asks. As usual, he knows more then he lets on.

I take a deep breath.

"You don't need to know, and I don't want you to know. Just know they are bad people who don't really care about me."

He looks down towards my feet.

"I often think about every single one of the eight children who fell into the underground. What horrible things does a child have to go through to throw themselves down a chasm? Every one of those children wanted a good life, but ended up seeking death instead. And that's what they ended up receiving, all of them, except for you. I don't want you to bear all these burdens on your own, I won't ask anymore, and I'll trust you Frisk, as long as you trust us too."

"Thanks for caring so much. Stuff like that is why I chose you guys over them." I choke up a bit, but I suppress tears. No crying today.

"Bearing so much pain alone is a hell no one deserves. It destroys one from the inside, makes them a demon they can't even recognize in the mirror. I know you've been through more then I can probably comprehend at the moment, but if you really feel like you have to get it off of your chest, I am here, Toriel is here, all your friends are here." Asgore continues to assure me.

"Trust me, its... not gonna get to me." I say as earnestly as I can, but it is a bit of a lie. "And... lets make sure. Lets make sure there won't be another kid like me, throwing themselves down a hole wanting to die, and if there is... lets give em a life worth living instead." I try to cheer him up this time.

He smiles.

"Yes! Now lets seal that promise with some food and sleep, shall we?" He says, before we both walk out of the tent together. Another day comes to a close, after we have a dinner with all our friends.

There will never be a ninth, not as long as I live.

 _I hope._


	2. Chapter 1 - Freedom

THE NINTH FALL – Chapter 1 "Freedom"

* * *

 _The torrential downfall weighs heavy on my heart, but the rain can't wash the blood and dust off these hands, I won't allow it._

 _Eight soaked and disrespected graves lined side to side, all of people I once knew, but never really._

 _The dead and the dust here isn't allowed their rest in peace it seems, graffiti a blemish on every tombstone._

 _Every year, I know I will come back to see them, always wondering about what could have been..._

 _As I begin to etch into her grave, my mind begins to wander back to that fateful day._

 _The day I fell into Ebott._

 _It begins like any other, but it won't end as such._

* * *

 **-Many years ago-**

 **-21XX-**

* * *

Everything aches.

Is this what death feels like? It can't be, this feels much too liberating.

It takes some effort, but I'm able to sit up. The first thing I notice is all the buttercups, there's so many... The room is covered in them, the only other details being four pillars, which I'm in the center of. The rest of it, is just the same yellow flowers. How... How did I not see this from up there? How far did I fall? How am I not dead? Why haven't they sent a rescue, or a team down for me yet? So many questions flood my confused mind.

I need to go.

I look down at my bruised hands, as I hear a jingling noise. I raise my left arm, a police cuff hanging off my wrist, as the hanging empty cuff makes a series of metallic clanks as I raise it. That's right... I narrowly avoided apprehension. The stainless steel offers a reflection of my tired face and disheveled hair, its not the same face I was expecting. I've grown a lot, haven't I...? The time to think offers a stark realization, which sends shivers down my spine.

Why... is my mind clear...? I'm not hearing voices... My mind hasn't been clear, or rather, silent, in... years at least.

Eventually, I break out of my stupor, as I'm able to stand with some effort.

I take a second glance around the dark, but somehow lit room, there's a very obvious path out of here, how is there so much light? I can hardly even see above me... By all accounts, it shouldn't work, but... Ugh, I don't know... I'm not a caveologist.

I carefully step around the flowers, as if I need to be as silent as possible, my left hand gripping the dangling cuff. I'm still surprised by all these buttercups, they... remind me of my grandparents, their house back in New Providence was lined with them, they were always so pretty. Do they grow naturally underground, or did someone bring them here? An indent in the flowers a few feet in front of me reminds me of something, as I grab the two objects around the room.

My flashlight is here, and so it my pocket knife, it took a few minutes of searching with all the flowers, but they stuck out enough. Its the only two things I brought with me, other then my clothes. My shorts are fine, but the shirt is still stained re- Oh, if my shirt has dried this much, that means I must have been out cold for a few hours. This feels like the first alright sleep I've gotten in forever, even after that fall, my aching body can't contain all this energy.

Now that I have a clear mind, if only for now, how am I going to get out of here? Do I even want to leave, I'll probably be arrested first thing when I get out... I don't think I should think about that just yet, I should just keep going and see if these caves lead anywhere. I wonder if anyone's down here? I guess i'll find out soon. Dad said this place used to be popular with cavers forever ago, before the government locked everything off decades back.

I leave the relative comfort of the buttercup room, into the darkness. But I have a flashlight, and a knife, so I should be alright.

The corridor is overgrown, it must have been the same in the cavern I came in from, I remember tripping on a vine on the way down the hole, but I'm not sure how much I can trust my memory when the voices are speaking to me, things can feel like a fever dream, but that's just been my life ever since they started.

Is there something down here causing them? No thats stupid, I think its more just me being sick in the head. Whatever, I rather be in a dark moldy cave then in New Providence.

The vines continue up until what looks like a large arch, or door for like, really tall people. Its covering up the inside, so I take my pocket knife and start to cut at them, eventually revealing another dark spacious room inside, with another open arch on the other side.

The vines all seem to converge in a small dirt mound in the middle of the room, I can't see it properly, so I shine my light at the center.

Huh. Just another Buttercup, but it looks like its lopsided. Something about it seems oddly... Unsettling. I stare at it for another moment, and to my surprise it stares back with a set of small eyes.

"Hello?" I say to it as it stares at me, I realize I may be blinding it, so I shine my light away from it, so it can see me right.

"Chara? Is that you? No... is it...?" a distinctly young sounding male voice says in a stupor, as he squints at me.

I smile in the presence of the small being. "Who are you?" I ask the small monster.

He seems to stretch a bit, and lets out a yawn."...Flowey, I'm... Flowey, the flower." What a creative name...

I get on my knee to get on his level. "What are you doing down here alone Flowey? I thought there were no more monsters in the forests?" I ask, confused to what he would be doing down here. He looks friendly enough, and its been too long since I've met a friendly face.

He doesn't answer my question, he only stares at me for a few awkward moments.

I get out of my kneel. "If you aren't going to talk, I'm just going to leave, sorry for bother-"

He interrupts me. "How many have you killed?" he asks me with a blank expression.

"Wha... What?" I ask, not sure if I heard him correctly.

"How. Many. Have. You. Killed. Humans or Monsters." His voice starts to grow stern. I feel a pit in my stomach.

I now realize entering his room with a blood drenched shirt and a knife drawn may give the wrong impression.

"I... I haven't killed anyone, the shirt is bloody because I had to defend myself, and uh, then I fell down here and-" I'm interrupted again.

"You're lying. I know you are. You've killed before, and I don't think just once." His tone starts to get sinister, and begins to scare me rather then unsettle.

"I... I'm going to go." I start to stammer and walk around the perimeter, staying as far from his as possible.

I feel a sudden grabbing at my leg, as I'm tripped. My head hits the ground, and the wind is knocked out of me. I don't take the time to get my bearings, as I try to get up, but I'm tripped again, I look at my leg in panic, its been bound by vines, so it was him! I look up at him, surprised when hes now stationary next to me instead of farther away in his mound. How can he move like that?

I begin to open my mouth to plead, but he already begins to talk. "How long has it been since Monsters went free?" He asks, sounding a bit calmer. Maybe trying to lure me into a false sense of security.

"What do you mean free?" I say to him through sharp breathing. I don't know what he's talking about...

He chuckles. "Hmm... What year is it now?" He asks, turning his head quizzically.

"I... Don't know..." I say honestly, my breathing becoming regular once again. "C-can you please le-"

"Really? Seems like that would be easy information." He says with his eyes closed, before starting again. "Alright, that's all I need to know." He has a bad habit of interrupting me.

"C-can I go then?" I meekly ask with a small smile, but I'm starting to lose my patience.

"Nope." he says, simply as that.

"No?! What do you mean no?!" I ask incredulously, starting to get very concerned.

"A long time ago, I chose to stay down here when everyone else went free. I hoped that maybe... If any more children fell down here, I could send them back all safe and sound, ya know?" children fell down here?

"What are you talking about?! Let me go!" I shout at him. "Well, I think letting you leave would be a mistake, its not every day you meet a child with such a high LOVE." He states, as he peers around my head.

Love? What is he talking about? I feel like I'm talking with an assisted!

"Wha-" I start before vines rocket from the ground and start to strangle me.

It catches me off guard, already struggling, I try to use my hands to free my neck from this sudden assault.

I try to speak, but only exasperated gurgles escape.

"Sorry kiddo. I think the surface would be better off without you." I hear over the sound of my own struggling, as my hands frantically grab at the vines.

He closes his eyes and goes limp.

I try get my knife to help free me from this, but Flowey denies me this, and binds my hand away, knocking my knife out of reach.

Not like this...

Not...

My vision fades, and I struggle no more.

* * *

Everything aches.

Is this what death feels like? It can't be.

It takes some effort, but I'm able to sit up. The first thing I notice is all the golden flowers, there's so many...

An overwhelming sense of deja-vu.

Have I... Done this before?

My hands instinctively rush for my neck, muscle memory from... When was that...?

Was I dreaming? That felt real...

I get up, and sure enough, my pocket knife and flashlight are on the ground with the flowers, same as they were last time. Did... He put me back here?

I take a few minutes to get my bearings, making sure to be prepared. Maybe hes just trying to imprison me here? That doesn't make sense though.

Leaving the golden flowers behind, I quietly approach the same door covered with vines from last time. The only explanation I can think of is him... regrowing them? Maybe he can feel it when his vines are cut?

Sure enough, after quietly slicing through, I can see the same yellow flower that just tried to kill me, asleep as if nothing ever happened. I make an attempt at sneaking around, not making the same mistake of pointing my light at him.

My efforts are in vain, I hear him laugh.

Its sinister, its a laugh his meek voice does not suggest possible.

The cackling freezes my bones, and makes me shudder, as it freezes me in place, I grip my knife harder in preparation for an attack.

The laughing stops suddenly "Whats your name?" he asks.

I debate not saying anything, but I'm not going to fool him, so...

I... I don't remember? How do I not...? How am I forgetting? Has it been that long?

"Its... Jordan." I lie quickly, not taking the time to stay confused. My voice gives away how intimidated I am.

He lets out a small chuckle "Jordan, Jordan, Jordan..." he says, while shaking his head.

His voice booms, his face contorts into a melting grimace, and in a tone I've never been more terrified of;

"WELCOME TO MY SPECIAL HELL."

His laugh echoes down the corridors as I run for dear life, into the dark and decrepit catacombs ahead.

* * *

Run.

I've always been good at running, but I've never ran as fast as this, and for this long.

I have no clue where I'm going, everything's dark, and I can hardly see, but risking using the flashlight seemed like an awful idea. Just get as far away from the Flower as possible. I'm not even sure if hes following me or not, but I'm not chancing it.

It hurts to breath, but I have to keep going. This is the most activity I've put these tired legs through in years... Has it even been that long...?

I can still hear that laugh echoing through my mind, oh god that laugh, it felt like my ears were bleeding as he cackled. What was he talking about? And how did he know that I...?

No... There's no use beating yourself up about it... It wasn't your fault, it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the voices. None of this would have happened...

It smells like mold and sweat down here, and the only sounds are my exasperated breaths, echoing footsteps, and jingles of handcuffs. I'm running from so many different things right now, and all I can hope, is that I don't hit a dead end.

Does every damn passage here look the exact same? Its all disgusting pink bricked walls over and over, whoever built this should be ashamed. I've hit a few dead ends, but never for too long, it seems like its just a straight passage with a few linking rooms.

I... I think I have to take a minute to breath... I... never want to see a goddamn flower again as long as I live. God, I'm screwed. There's no way I'm going to be able to rest down here with that flower anywhere close to me, I haven't eaten in maybe days, and... I'm not even sure there's a way out of here. What if the voices start again? I sure as hell can't do this on a clouded mind.

I need to find a way out, so I guess I just have to keep going.

After I'm done ventilating a bunch of dust into my tired lungs, I start to go forward, just walking this time.

Who built this place? Is this a bomb shelter? Nah, too tacky and impractical looking, maybe something from ancient times? I remember studying a lot of history in school, the fatherland, a similarly dusty term, has a lot of neat stuff going on in its ancient history. From the ancient medieval times, to even the old wars. I remember visiting one of the new war shelters with mom down south of Providence, it had an uneasy air to it, but not the same kind as here. If this is old infrastructure from the last millennia, its in... Alright condition, I suppose. Maybe the entrance was just grown over, and its around here somewhere? I can only hope...

I hear a dripping noise. I look behind myself again, making sure I'm not being followed, and to search for the dripping sound...

Oh crap, my nails are digging into my hand... I've been gripping my knife too hard, and I haven't even noticed. It stings to let go, but I have no issue clinging my bleeding hand to my shirt, its not like it needs the help getting any bloodier, but whatever, can't kill a dead cat. Nice little thing this knife is, belonged to the councilor, basic multi tool setup, but with an abnormally large blade. Its still bloody from earlier, but its gross and sticky now. Almost everything about my being and its possessions needs a thorough cleaning, I can smell myself, and between the blood, sweat, and dirt, its a rancid odor. I make sure to be careful when I close the knife, cutting myself with it could get me a nasty infection.

I haven't seen any other vegetation, maybe that means I'm in the clear? Will there be more or those flowers? I hope not. Hmm...

Maybe the flower went insane from being alone down here for so long? He has some serious issues, and I'm not going to hesitate playing weed whacker if I have the chance. Who does he think he is? Strangling me and keeping me as a personal pet in his flower field, god, just thinking about it is making me seethe. Everything about him just rubbed me the wrong way, aside from the obvious murderey stuff.

There's a fork in the path here, there's been many, and each one has lead me into a dead end, but never for long, as the other path lead on for much longer. I decide to go right ahead, its a small room, with another door directly to my left.

I turn into the doorway, and I can see I'm in a much larger room now, there's a chest high wall here, but I can't see anything beyond it, its much darker then the previous corridors. I think its safe to use my flashlight now, so I shine it into the dark, and what I see amazes me. It looks like an ancient city, well, from what little I can see. The buildings are extremely aged, only a few even resemble buildings anymore. The rest are just remnants, I'd go down and explore, but I can't see an easy way down, oh never mind, there's a pile of rubble I can climb down.

After carefully climbing down the destroyed pile, I start to wander the streets, looking through the buildings for any sign of someone, but to no avail. The buildings here that are still in mostly one piece are primitive at best, made up completely of stone, with small bits of wood present, oddly enough.

I almost call out to ask if anyone's out there, but I stop myself. I think it would be safer to look myself... Should I even be doing this? Even if I find someone else, what if they're just as bad as Flowey? Even worse, they could have legs.

The wood of the buildings creak as I walk through them. There's next to nothing, as if the place has been looted from front to back. Shoddy furniture is present in a few of the buildings, just chairs and tables of various sizes, a bed frame or two. I debate getting some rest, but its already kind of chilly down here, and I don't feel safe closing my eyes, as much as I want to.

Did people live down here, or did monsters? Maybe if someone still does live down here, I can ask. I know monsters were apparently living in the forest for however long, but maybe this is where they started? But why wouldn't they stay if they had easy access to outside? This seems so much safer.

My footsteps echo down the massive dark interior. This place is the stuff of myth, the sort of thing I'd make up in preschool to my friends. A basic infrastructure is visible, marketplaces, large apartment style buildings, storefronts, and what looks like wells. A look over one reveals its been dried out, damn. I was able to take a quick drink on the way on the way to Ebott, but I'm already feeling really thirsty. Cold, exhausted, tired, hungry, and thirsty, but I'd rather be here than there...

A quick reminiscence, sterile hallways, walls of distrust, safety from ones own self. I banish the thought from my mind, in anger, or maybe fear.

As I walk down the streets, my light illuminating the path in front of me, I start to get unnerved. I've never been the type of person to get easily scared, but this is a... Rattling experience, almost like something out of a crappy horror movie. As if HE is in every one of these buildings, just waiting for me to turn the corner. Be it Flowey, or... I try to avoid thinking of any worst case scenarios, but I feel things are gonna get worse before they get better...

After checking a few more of the abandoned buildings, I start to think I should head back to fork in the corridor from earlier. I checked around the walls encircling the town, to no luck, this is more of a fancy village then anything. Probably built upwards to make the most of the small space, makes enough sense. Easily the fanciest dead end of all time.

A small piece of paper catches my eye as I take a quick pan with my light. As I get closer and light it up, I realize it resembles parchment more then paper, very faded black writing lines the peach colored paper, its very hard to make out, but I try my best...

"KING ... HAS DECLARED FURTHER EX... OF THE UNDER..., THOSE WHO WISH ... STAY ARE ...WED. TALK WITH EITHER ... KING OR QUEEN ... IF YOU WANT ... KNOW MORE. WE WON'T LOSE HOPE, WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER, THE H... WONT TAKE ANY... FROM US ...VER AGAIN."

I can't make enough of it out to really get a solid picture of what its saying, but the whole king and queen thing confirms my thoughts of this being ancient. I'm surprised that this paper is even still here, if this is some 700 to thousands of years old. I think to take it with me, but I'm too sticky and wet with blood and sweat still, and I don't really have anywhere to put it. I try to commit it to memory, before leaving it behind, a tornado of questions in my mind.

I wonder if anyone on the surface knows all this is down here? There's no way people don't, the whole Ebott mountain range is and has been on government watch for years, I almost filleted myself on all the barbwire getting in. Its obvious they were hiding something, but this seems kinda boring for that. But then why is this place look like its never even been explored? Gah, never mind... Its interesting, but not as important as actually trying to not die.

Whatever, I gotta turn back around and check another hall, probably a dead end, but I really hope not. The walk back to the pile of rubble takes a few minutes, as I lose my sense of direction on the way. Also trying to keep quiet, argh, I need to get these cuffs off of me. Like most modern police equipment, its high tech, and durable. An older set could be easily picked with enough time, but this uses digital keying to stay shut. I'm also pretty sure this has GPS built in, but that shouldn't work down here, so at least that's not a concern.

Affixing my light in my mouth, I carefully climb the rubble, back up to the overlooking perch. I do a quick check around for everything to be clear as I go, expecting to see something amiss, but everything's the same way I left it. I think.

Hmm... The fork that I crossed to get to that balcony seems to be significant. A quick glance with my flash light beyond the opening reveals a... dead tree? It looks charred. Its surrounded by dead leaves, this isn't the first weird thing like this I've seen down here. There was a bunch of traps, I think, on the way here when I was running. Most of them seemed either broken or deactivated, I almost got stabbed by a strange spike floor earlier when I was running, that was fun. Behind that is something that confuses me a bit, a house...?

Whats a house doing here, and not in the city? I think its a house at least, it looks like a house from the front, a door and a few windows, but its built into the walls. There's even a dusty old welcome mat in front of the place. I catch myself trying to knock on the door before stopping my hand., so I try to open it instead, but the door is locked, i try a few more times vainly, but no luck. Guess its gotta open somehow. After jamming my knife in the lock, and twisting for a bit, occasionally turning my head to make sure none of the murderous cadaverous variety are behind me, the door eventually unlatches, and I'm in the house. I busted the lock, so flower jerk can follow me in, but I don't think a door would stop him anyway.

This place seems pretty snug, a quick glance reveals some bookshelves, a staircase leading down, and two doors to my right and left. I decide to see whats to the left first. Its a pretty living room, its got the works, a nice table with three chairs, a fireplace, an oversized reading chair, and tacky paintings. It reminds me of grandpas house, it makes me feel at home, despite this being no place for me to be comfortable. Ooh, there are some tools near the fireplace, one of these will surely make a better weapon then my dinky pocket knife! Dammit, these have already been filed down, never mind then. I take a quick look at the bookshelf, but there's nothing there, only dust. This fireplace is just a place now, looks like it hasn't seen fire in ages. The only other room connected to the living room is what seems to be a very small kitchen, i get my hopes up and dash to the fridge, vainly hoping for food inside, and... There's a chocolate bar?

I don't like chocolate, but that doesn't stop me from just scarfing the thing down in seconds. It tastes kinda bad to be honest, and not even because I don't like it, because it was spoiled...? I thought chocolate didn't spoil? I pick up the wrapper for it I haphazardly threw away, and try to give it a read. The hell? I haven't heard of this brand, and the trademarks on the back reveal the date 2002... That's more then a century and a half ago... I already had a lot of questions coming in here, but this has really compounded that. I was assuming this place was some medieval deal with that city back there, but this place has electric furnishings like fridges, that still work. I keep searching through the kitchen for anything else of use, but there's nothing... But it still gives me small amount of hope, if one place can have something, it means every other can too.

I decide to double back to the foyer and go down the other hall, it leaves to a simple hallway, with a few doors, three on the right, one on the left. I gently open the first creaking door to reveal what seems to be a child's room, its got a small bed, maybe a little to small for me, a dresser filled with striped shirts not to dissimilar to mine, I quickly take mine off to see if one of these will fit, but they don't, whatever, red looks better on me anyways. Weird, the bed has a bunch of dirt in its sheets, whatever, its too small for me, heck, anything I could use in here is way too small, so I decide to go to the next room over, which has a much larger bed, but that's about it, the bookshelves and dressers are empty, so this rooms a bust too.

I decide to go to the room on the right at the end of the hall, its just a simple bathroom, but to my surprise, the water works, at least in the sink, but not in the bath. I take the time to quickly strip and give myself a awkward wash, the cold water hell on my cold skin. I try to wash the blood out of my shirt too, but to no avail, its too caked in. There's no soap either, so I still smell like hot garbage. I take a few swigs of water, putting my head under the tap, and keep exploring, only to see an ugly sight.

The last room has a nice mirror next to it, and I look like a total wreck, even after washing myself, my red eyes are poetically bloodshot, and my hair is a scruffy greasy mess, but other then that, normal me, a little older then I remember. The last door here has a sign that says "under renovations," but that doesn't stop me from barging in anyways, it takes a little bit of fiddling with the lock, but it was easier then the front door.

Wow, this room is like a time capsule, nothing has been taken from here. The huge bed is fully furnished with big pillows, knit blankets, and cozy sheets. The shelves have some photos of a family, but they are too faded to really make anything out, other then that its definitely monsters in the photos, the horns are a dead giveaway. Were monsters living in the mountain the entire time? That would make more sense then in the forests, I figured that was a load of bull, but this is still really bizarre. Next to the foot of the bed is a table with a journal. A small cloud of dust bellows forth when I open it, triggering a small coughing fit. Once I stop, I realize that all of the pages are ripped out, except for a few.

The first reads "Home will no longer do, we are much too populated now, we must brave unknown to find more space to live within the mountain. Asriel can't wait to see more outside the ruins, as can't I, my son! We will leave first thing tomorrow morning." So that's why this place is abandoned, everyone left, except that flower, heh, I can see why they left him behind. The rest of the pages are detailing... Magic...? What, that's a thing? I start to squint as I quickly skim through detailed passages regarding arcane practices, and elemental learning.

My mind says that this is all poppycock, but monsters just have an... I don't know, honest air to them? And why would ancient monsters need to lie? I dust off the pages and start reading in detail.

"I started teaching Asriel magic today, he's... Not the best at it, i think that's just due to his temperament, eventually the boy will be a natural at it, just like his parents!" Under it is a note detailing magical teachings, its writing looks much older: "To hone ones unrefined magical ability, imagine a fire in your mind and in your hands, picture heat, but a heat that doesn't hurt, and those with innate magic will find their hands alight. Fire, being both a power of creation, and destruction, is an excellent starting element, useful for many daily tasks such as cooking, illumination, and self defense." I'm tempted to just close the book in disbelief of this nonsense, but part of me believes this musty old thing.

"Fire... in my mind..." I say out loud as I look at my hands in front of me. I turn my flashlight off, sit down on the ground, and leave myself in the complete dark. I follow the instructions to a tee, a fire that doesn't hurt? That seems so oxymoronic, isn't fire supposed to hurt? That's kind of the point of fire.

Fire...

Com-bus-tion...

Heat!

I open my eyes, expecting to see my hands on fire, but I can't see anything. I repeat the process a few times, becoming more and more agitated with every failure. Ugh, why did I even try? This is stupid. I try to stand up, but misjudge my distance from the table, and end up slamming my head into the table the book was on.

I let a yelp out and fall, coddling my head, as I grumble to myself.

Stupid goddamn magic, oh yeah, I can tooooootally be a wizard, hurr durr.

After the pain subsides, I reach into my pocket, only to realize I left the flashlight on the table. I manage to feel my way to the table, but I can't find the light. Mother of a-, argh! This just my luck.

Any other day, I would by screaming mad, but I still have my mind about me enough to not alert the flower.

I start feeling around on the ground, hoping to get my light easily, but it isn't working. I end up bumping my head into a wall, and only getting myself more angry, which gets me impatient, and makes me bump my head into another wall. I take a break against the closest wall.

I need to find my light, I need to get out of here, I need to find something to eat, I need to...

I need... to...

What am I even doing?

This is, all just a nightmare, isn't it?

Any moment I'm going to wake up back there, back in hell, this all just a fleeting dreamscape.

I curl up, my chin between my knees, as things begin to _really_ set in.

And it gets to me. I start crying. I'm in the dark, constantly hurting myself, haven't eaten real food in days, a murderous flower is probably patrolling the hallways for my head, and I can't find a damn flashlight. What am I even going to do if I can get out of this cave? I'll probably be arrested, and spend the rest of my life in jail, or worse, back _there_. What am I even trying to do? I should have just let the flower kill me, he was right, the world would be a better place without me. Parents wouldn't have to worry about a shit child like me, I'm pretty sure that's why they were fighting all the time. They said it wasn't related to me, but I know that was a lie, even back then.

So why am I _still_ fighting?

I grit my fists.

I remember what I can do, morbid thoughts start to take over at the behest of this revelation.

If this is real, I can finally do this. End this nightmare prematurely, or end it all right now, I have the chance. To do it on my own terms.

I draw my knife, the blade is sticky, but I manage to get the blade out of its lip. My hands are slow, but I lift the blade slowly, my arm closing the distance to my neck as my hands tremble. My breathing becomes erratic, and I form a cold sweat.

Come on, you can do this...

I can feel the sharp point of the blade on neck, as my mind struggles to pull it away, my heart is saying to ram it deep, and never look back. I swallow, my adam's apple centimeters away from the blade.

You've asked for this for years, for that second chance, just- just do it already!

The breathing keeps getting heavier, my arms losing any semblance of composure.

I cock my arm back, and attempt a stabbing motion, but its weak, my arm stopping itself before the blade hits the soft flesh.

I sit in silence, wishing for the strength to stab my throat, and do away with all this pain. Instead, I see people I knew, my family, my friends... They don't look at me in the disgust I'm used to, they look at me as if... As if they care. They don't, they can't! They won't care! THEY WON'T!

SO JUST. DO IT!

I feel the point of the knife sharper on my neck, as my skin attempts to retreat from the edge, I feel a prick, but...

I'm not strong enough.

"GOD... DAMMIT!" I shout, as I throw the knife across the room in anger, I don't even care about the noise any more, as I sob away. My body a convulsing mess of grief.

I can't even die right... You were right Gregory. I can't do anything right, can I?

Sitting in solitude draining my eyes onto my face. I want to sleep, but I feel even that's too good for me... I'm not strong enough to get up, I've used all my strength.

I stare at my hands, I can't see them, but I know they're there. I curl my fingers, just to remind my panicking self, I'm still here.

A fire that doesn't hurt...

I want it to hurt.

I want it to hurt badly.

Just so I can know I am still here.

A defiant ember of flame alights the room from my palms, my tears as oil, as I look at the flame in disbelief.

Oil of sadness becomes oil of hope.


	3. Chapter 2 - Alone

THE NINTH FALL - Chapter 2 "Alone."

* * *

Sleep of my own volition, its filled with the same nightmares as always, but they're gone when I wake up today.

I never want to get out of this bed, in this darkness, I could sleep for days without complaint. The only thing driving me is my growling stomach, or else i'd never leave. I spend some time time lazing around nonetheless, playing with the fire in my palms, small embers, harmless even to drop on this bed. I don't want to get up. I don't want to go have to worry about that flower. I don't want to have to try anymore.

I know i'm not dreaming anymore, this is real, but I'm still not entirely convinced, despite all that.

Its so long. I wonder how everyone's doing? Up from my old life... Have they all forgotten me? I wouldn't blame them. Maybe Dad is worried, I hope, but he very well may not even know I left...

Maybe Mom is worried too, I... have memories saying she isn't around anymore, but they're hazy and incoherent, like a rumor in my own mind. Everything feels like that since they voices started, well, until now at least. Maybe I hit my head in just the right way?

I doubt that would fix the voices... They started when I was thirteen, that's what got me into all this trouble. The voices seemed to dull everything about me, I couldn't hear as well, see as well, smell, feel, everything. They... They made it impossible to think, but I was still _there_ , I still _felt_ everything, I was trapped in my own mind, my eyes caged from the world. They called me a killer, a psychopath, a devil, but its not my fault... Not that they care, they just saw a scapegoat... But now that I'm free from them? I...

I sigh, and turn to my side, watching my hand, as an ember rolls about in my palm. Using magic has an almost euphoric feeling, like drinking water when parched. It reminds me of something.

It feels like... Wow... I'd forgotten about that day...

It was when I was... Seven years old, winter 2155...

* * *

"Are you alright, ***? Do you want me to getcha a glass of water?" Quill asks me from the doorway of my room. Hes really nice, and almost like an uncle to me, a Monster, whats still a uncommon sight to even people living in my city is just an all too common one to me. Hes a big blob of light blue translucent slime, with a nice discernible face, two eyes like black beads.

My dad is a Human Monster relations ambassador, so I meet all sorts of whacky monsters of all shapes and sizes almost every day, we live in the Monster part of town, and frequently invite them over to dinner, much to the shegrin of my mom.

Quill is also one of the very few relations ambassadors, a very... Controversial job, to say the least. People, or uh, other Humans don't really like monsters that much, so the few people with the job really get to know one another. He became a very close friend of my father while working with him, so our families are pretty chummy with each other. His wife is so cool! Sometimes we go over to their place in the city, and bake the best cookies. His daughter is my best friend too, so I love spending time with them, I almost do it more then with my own parents, they're so busy...

"Its alright..." I say meekly from under the lip of my large blanket. I'm home sick today, something really common for me.

He forms a larger then life smile "I just need to fill some paperwork out, boring adult stuff, in the other room! Just give me a holler if you need something!" he says with his trademark optimism he's almost known for, his voice has a weird sound to it, almost like a slimy accent, but I'm used to it. "Can you stay with me?" I ask, before a short fit of coughing.

"...Okay!" He says after a short pause, before plopping back down on the other side of the bed. "Do you want me back here, or up with you?" he asks, as I feel the weight of him near my cold feet. I move over, to the right side of the bed, and lift my covers up so he can join if he wants. It takes a moment, but he reluctantly wiggles his way under with me. Despite what he looks like, Quills skin feels like a soft, warm rubber, instead of a, well, slimy cold and wet mess. I have him locked in a hug, almost like hes a giant teddy bear. He doesn't mind.

I keep trying to fall asleep, but between the coughing and the bad headache, I can't, even with how comfy my bed and friend is. I try to think about silly things, like how Quill or my dad looks in a fancy work suit. Auntie looks really good in a suit, but she does everything really good, I hope I'll see her again soon...

"***, do you get bullied in school?" he breaks the silence with a painful question, in a pained tone. I hate when adults ask questions they know the answer to already, so I choose not to respond... "I just want you to know, if you ever feel alone, you always have us, your family, me, my wife, any of us. I know things must be tough, I get bullied all the time too, and just when I feel like I want to give up...

I remember to keep hope. Its always worth living, even through the hard stuff, even when you think you can't, or when people tell you that you can't. Can you promise me that?" he ends quietly.

"...I promise." I respond, hugging him tighter. As my headache begins to flair, he starts to feel warmer, and mysteriously, my headache begins to fade.

I begin to fall asleep, content, thinking about his words. I'd forget about my promise in the coming years, as the future held for me was one with no hope.

* * *

Quill...

What a man... He had such a passion for what he did, he took all the abuse of the job with a smile on his face. He loved his daughter, he loved his wife, and wanted both of them to live in a better world. A world where Monsters didn't have to be afraid all the time...

I remember, Mom and Dad used to get into arguments all the time about how Quill would sleep with me, she said it was inappropriate for a work friend of his to be in a bed, essentially naked, with her young child. I used to think it was dumb of my mom to say that, but yeah, I can kind of understand where she was coming from now, but I know Quill would have never done something like that. He just didn't want me to be alone...

But this time, as I sleep on my side, I really am alone. I remember you Quill. Even after so long, I really miss you.

I'll do this for you. I'll... try to do this, for you.

Because there's no one who will tell me that I can't anymore. Not even that stupid flower.

I get up, out of bed, and am frightened right away by a jingling sound, only to look down at my wrist in annoyance and realise its the handcuffs, still stubbornly hanging on my wrist. A reminder of a fate I narrowly escaped. As if instinct, I bring my free hand to my wrist, and engulf the cuff in flames. I only realise what I'm doing as the cuff becomes a mess of molten steel all over my wrist, making me jump back, expecting pain. But pain doesnt happen, even as glowing orange slag drips are still on my wrist, and a singing sound reveals the molten metal is burning the floor with no issue. My own magic must not affect me? Thats... good to know.

After making sure a fire doesn't spread around the small room, I manage to find my flashlight from last night, under the damn bed, of course. Seems a bit redundant now, but worth keeping. I try looking through the journal for any more information, but there's nothing really. There's a big dresser, its filled with all sorts of hand knit stuff, huge robes tell me whoever lived here, or at least in this room, was a big monster. They have a familiar symbol on them, a circle with wings, with three triangles, one pointing down, two pointing up... I've seen this before, I've seen it a lot actually, its the general regalia that represents monsters. You see it as a symbol of camaraderie between monsters, or even support for them, the few stores that allow monsters inside will have a delta rune sticker on the window, or near the door. There's a smaller one in here funnily enough, its still too big for me, but I feel it'll be useful, its kind of chilly down here. I cut the bottom of it to my ankles so I won't be tripping over myself, its nice and warm, but I probably look stupid in it. Shame I had to cut it up, woulda loved to bring one... Never mind...

Nothing else useful, its time for me to go, but where? There may have been a way forward I been missed, but I don't even want to approach the flower if I don't have to. I didn't check the basement, so that's up next.

The passage in the house basement is strange, was this place supposed to be a gateway? This isn't a normal. Who puts a gateway in the basement like this? Or maybe the house was built around the gateway?

I'm giving the flashlight a break, my left forearm and hand is alight on fire, as if covered in oil. Holding it up makes me a human torch, its not as good as the flashlight, but its good practice. It takes some effort to use the fire magic, but it seems to come naturally now. I spent some time in the sectioned off room practicing it in bed, man what a great bed that was, but anythings better then sleeping on a cushioned floor.

If I try hard enough, I can make some crappy fireballs, but they go way too slow to do anything useful, blind babies could dodge these. Its a start at least. The book mentioned that Fire was a starting element, so I hope I can find some other magic... stuff down here, anything I can learn before I go back to the surface will help. If I'm going to be a fugitive, might as well be _the_ fugitive.

I'm about half way down the corridor, when my heart drops. Among the empty footsteps of the corridor, and the crackling of my magic, I just heard the broken front door upstairs creak open.

My heart races. "I know you're down there." I can hear him call down the stairs.

It stops me dead in my tracks, and my fire goes out as I lose focus. After the initial shock wears off, I bolt down the corridor, quickly grabbing my light and propping it in my mouth, not taking the risk to look behind me, I don't even know if that was him or not, but I'm not taking the risk. A big door was around the corner, I try to pry it open, but its hinges are rusted. I look back in panic only to be terrified, it is him, hes looking at me from around the corner with this blank look in his face, his pupils enlarged and empty, vines are growing from under him towards me at a rapid pace.

"I won't allow looters here. Go ahead, run, you won't make it in time." he says with no remorse.

I put more strength in my pull, and manage to get the door wide enough for me to squeeze through. I don't have enough time to close, or rather slam, the door behind me.

I don't think he can catch up to me unless I hit another door really soon, just keep going! The corridor is long, making me feel my lungs getting a good work out.

There's another door at the end, damn! I try to pry it open, only to be surprised when it opens rather easily, I turn around and slam it shut, watching the vines trying to chase me. I don't think it can easily be opened by the flower, so I turn around to keep going, I'm almost out of breath, about to take a moment of reprieve.

But there he is, in the small patch of dirt in the middle of the room, like its the same room I found him yesterday.

I feel frozen, like nothing I can do will matter. His empty stare and fake smile makes escape feel impossible.

"You have a nice sleep?" He breaks the silence with a sarcastic remark. "I already checked the house last night, but you were in the geezers room weren't you? Didn't even think of checking there." He almost gives me a bit of credit.

"..." I decide to save my breath, I may need it. I look at him with as intense of eyes as I can muster, as I'm hunched over, ready to run.

"Why ya being rude Jordan? Didn't your parents ever teach you to respect your elders?" He says tilting his head, his pupils dilating. He's trying to scare me, and its working.

"..." I continue to muster only silence, as I glare daggers at him.

"I'd hate to have to... Pry... The words out of your throat myself... Is that what you want? I can use thorns this time, would you like that?" he cackles a bit after that, I wasn't willing to humor him before, but use of thorns doesn't sound fun...

"What? What do yo-" I fall for the bait, vines shoot from the grounds and constrict around my neck, it pulls me to the ground, Flowey sprouts at the vines near my hands, as I vainly try to free my neck, holding them away. He looks at me with a sadistic grin, hearing me wheeze in an arms reach.

"Heehee, don't you ever learn? You make it way to easy." He starts laughing. I give up on trying to free my neck, and grip my hand around Flowey's stem and focus, he doesn't agree with that, I can feel my hand gripping him being stabbed in multiple areas, probably the thorns he was mentioning, it scares more breath out of me, but it doesn't stop my bloody grip, even as he howls with laughter, and as I run out of breath. Come on... My hand ignites into flame, and hes in the middle of it. His face contorts into one of rage almost instantly, he lets out a shriek, retracts his thorns, and the loosens the vines around my neck, I let go, letting him free, but it gives me the time to rip the vines from around my neck and start gasping for air. The whole exchange was less then a half a minute, but it felt like a lifetime.

"You're a d-damn psychopath!" I manage to scream between gasps, the pain in my hand starts to manifest too, there are deep cuts everywhere. Flowey's back in the center of the room, he looks angry, and somewhat charred. I clench both of my fists, and feel a burning feeling from both palms, despite not trying too use fire.

"And you're a damn mage! None of the Humans that came down here even had a hint of magical ability, I thought Humans abandoned magic centuries ago!" Flowey sounds like I hurt his feelings, how entitled can you be?!

"You were trying to kill me, you weed!" I spit with vitriol.

He looks the other way "Oh whatever! You wouldn't have died anyways! I don't have that liberty!" What? "Just like last time?! Being strangled gives, you know, brain damage, lack of oxygen? Ring a bell, you idiot!?" I yell at him, is he really this stupid?

His demeanor instantly calms, as he looks at me with interest.

"You don't get it, do you...? Heehee."

His words confuse me, but his silence scares me.

"What...?" I say, also calming down, but not letting my guard down, my bloody arm still alight, and ready for another attack.

"I'm not gonna waste my time explaining it to a simpleton, find it out on your own." he ends with a giggle.

"I don't understand, what are you talking about?" I say with a bit of whimper, I think hes trying to trick me again, but I'm not sure this time. If hes saying I just 'can't die,' which makes no goddamn sense, he wouldn't even be trying to kill me. "I'm not falling for another one of your tricks." I try to sound intimidating.

"You sure? I'd love to give you a riddle or two." he remarks with such obvious sarcasm "And I'd like to riddle you with holes." I spit back at him. "Of course you would." he says back at me with a shit eating grin. It stings a bit, no wait, that's just all the holes in my hand.

I grunt in frustration "I just want to leave, I don't care about you! Does the door behind you lead outside? Can I just go?! Or do I need to boil you to leave?!" I yell at his stupid contorting face, which morphs back to serious.

"You think you're done down here?" He asks, before bursting into laughter again. "You idiot! You're not even close to being done down here!" another drop in my stomach.

"What? Are you going to harass me the entire way through?" I ask, still angry as all hell at this flowers antics.

Flowey stops laughing.

"Tell you what, meet me in New Home, and I'll show you the way out. But let me tell you one last thing..." He pauses, ducking into the ground, before re-emerging a meter away. "Down here, I'm the least of your worries! Have fun with those freaks!" He ends it with another sinister cackle that pierces my ears, before returning into the earth without a trace. I don't even get the chance to ask him what or where the hell 'New Home' is.

I take another few minutes to to sit and catch my breath, pondering Flowey's words, is he bluffing, or is it true? Is there really something else out there? Something worse then him? I doubt it.

My right hand is bloodied, the wounds were seemingly cauterized by my fire, it still stings like a bitch though. Having the right hand like this is definitely the worse of the two to be mangled, my light can be easily used with my left hand, but the knife can't.

I think i'm going to back to the room and- That... That asshole! He sealed the way back, the door is sealed shut and won't open at all! I swear I'm gonna kill him!

I yell obscenities for a moment, before giving the door a good kick, causing me to hold my foot in pain as I wince, using more obscenities.

After I calm down, I turn around and slowly walk to the other side of the room.

The door leading ahead has the same symbol as my robe above it, I grab onto the cold handle and wince from the pain.

I open the door into a frigid wasteland, scared, but determined.


	4. Chapter 3 - Frigid

THE NINTH FALL - Chapter 3 "Frigid."

* * *

 _Somewhere else, some time else..._

"*** is still in the hospital, Gabriel?" My mother asks me.

"The doctors are still doing mental therapy." I respond, still overwhelmed by the events of the previous week. Even the comfort and memories of my old home here don't reassure me, it all seems so distant.

"Checking their noggin?" My father asks, seemingly not taking this seriously, that's just like him though, kinda boneheaded. My mother punches his shoulder, which is just like her too. Glad to see this hasn't changed them all that much. It frees my mind from this pain, if only for a moment.

I take a moment to respond. "Yeah Dad... the therapy may be scewed by ***'s health conditions, but... I don't know what to do." My hands are in my head, I'm a broken man. "They say its one of the strongest cases of dementia, or even schizophrenia they have ever seen, they aren't sure yet, only saying its... really, really bad..." I continue.

"What did the lawyers say?" My Mother pipes up, trying to change the subject.

"*** will never live a normal life again, and either will be tried as an adult for manslaughter of a minor, or will be tried as a mental patient, which is much preferable. They say it will be an uphill battle though." I tell her, my voice cracking as I explain. Those suits were professional, yet cold. They didn't really care, but their recommendations rang true, more or less.

"It will be alright though? We got you the very best money could buy." She asks nervously through her palms.

"If we were in the States maybe that would be the case, but we aren't." I snap with immediate regret as she winces. "Sorry..." I quickly say, as I continue fidget my leg.

My Father chimes in. "Do you think *** would like to see us? We could come and see you three tomorrow. I'm guessing Kassandra is with *** now?" Another spear through my hole ridden heart, I'd almost forgotten about her leaving yesterday...

"...She... left..." I say with my mouth lagging behind my thoughts. Any other day I would start crying, but my tears have ran dry. Shes out of town already by now, all of her stuff was already gone when I left the house this morning.

"You mean shes home for the night?" My dad asks, ignorant to my words' meaning. I think Mom gets it though, her eyes are open in shock.

"Shes gone. The pressure was too much for her." I say words in place of my mother, who I hoped would give me a bit of silent time. But she explodes instead. "That bitch! Her child is going through the roughest time in their life, and she up and abandons you both?" My mother screams with uncharacteristic rage as she paces the room, seething, it makes my father jump, though I can see he looks angry, or maybe disappointed. I know they... both loved Kass. I hope they'll forgive her.

"I don't even care. I had forgotten about it until you asked, please don't get mad. I'm not mad at her." I say, not really wanting to talk about Kass anymore, all I want to do is focus on *** right now.

"What do you mean not mad?! How can I _not_ be mad?! And how can _you_ not?!" My mother yells after getting close to me. Kassandra never wanted a child, she just wanted me... when she got pregnant, we convinced her to keep it. I regret that, I... should have listened to her. But no, I pressured her into something she didn't want. This is all my fault... just like I should have been harder on ***, making sure they went to all their doctor appointments, maybe they would have seen this earlier... and this never would have happened.

"Hon, please calm down... Gabe's had a tough enough week... If he says he isn't mad, listen to him..." My father tries to calm his wife down, she opens her mouth to say something again, but grunts and sits down with her arms crossed.

I get a minute of silence, my mother getting up again to get a drink, I hear her grumbling as she goes. I hear my father start to say something, but he stops, and takes a deep breath. I look up at him, expecting a question.

"Do you... still love ***, Gabriel?" My father manages to get out after another few moments.

I open my mouth to respond, but I hesitate. I can see him start to frown the longer I take.

I swallow my throat. "Of course, I'd give up everything for ***. I know... they didn't mean to do what they did, it wasn't their fault." I say, fairly sure of myself, but the hesitation scares me. "Besides, *** is all I have now. I... have to quit the ambassador position, I'm sorry..." I meekly let out, another bombshell for my parents, I'm sure.

His response is softer then I expected. "That's totally warranted Gabriel, don't apologize." My father assures me, but I'm sure it hurts for him, he was the one who was so happy for me to take the job in the first place. "And you are **not** alone, you have me and your father. Just continue being a great father for ***, that's all we ask. If you ever need help, you know you can ask us. We both love you Gabriel." My mother reassures me as she sits next to me and gives me a light hug.

My parents kind words manage to inspire me keep fighting. "Thanks, you have no idea how much that mea-" I start, but I'm interrupted by my phone ringing. "Sorry, its probably the hospital." I say, eagerly answering the phone, hoping to hear something good.

But just a few words from the attendant, and I drop my phone in shock.

I start breathing heavily, as I fall to my knees from the couch gripping the sides of my head. "Gabriel? Gabriel, whats wrong?!" My mother shouts as they both get up towards me, as I hyperventilate.

No, no, no, no, no...

"GABRIEL! GABRIEL?!"

Wracked with grief, I speak. "***... *** killed one of the nurses..." I whisper, light headed, and confused. My broken heart shattered further...

* * *

Hell has frozen over.

Its dark, its cold, and I'm lost. If I didn't have fire on my side, I would be dead already.

Its hard to see in front of me, the wind is howling, making a dense fog of snow. Am I even underground anymore? There's no way this is outside, it was still warm this time of fall.

Every now and then, I bump into a tree, there are so many here, but they are all just... dead. How were trees even supposed to grow down here? Is there day and night times down here? I have no clue what the time is supposed to be, I feel like it should be afternoon right now...

A sloshy step. Ugh, my crap shoes aren't up for the task, I can already feel my feet freezing, hardly any feeling in them, I keep tripping and losing balance.

God damn, hows it so cold? Isn't it supposed to be warmer underground? Even with the robes and with the fire, I'm still freezing my ass off. I've already been walking for a few hours, or maybe its only been a few minutes, I can't tell. I need to find somewhere to rest and warm up. Food would be nice too, but I doubt I'm gonna find a burger place down here. Maybe nothing is better then the crap they served back back then at Saint Lucille's, its been too long since I've had something decent to eat. First thing I'mma do when I get out of here is go get a pizza. Or a burger. Or a pizza burger combo. The police will probably come arrest me after that, but that's fine, I got one decent meal before that, and anythings better then the asylum.

What am I saying? Screw that, I'll burn them alive if they ever lay a hand on me again! I just need to get out of this frozen hell before I can even worry about worrying about that, though.

I keep getting my hopes up as I _think_ I see something ahead, but its always nothing. Just a mirage, or a false hope. My fire gets weaker and weaker the farther I go, almost like a clock ticking to my doom.

Its so dry, it feels like my face is getting cut by the air. I don't even know if the path I'm on is going anywhere, its marked, so it should. I've passed a few stands that look like, checkpoints? Lemonade stands? Something like that. There's snow, so much snow, at least I think its snow, but none of it is covering the path I've been following, so how did it even get down here? Did it used to snow...? Somehow? This doesn't make any sense. Everything down here just makes no goddamn sense.

A feeling of being watched is a constant here, I swear I keep hearing snapping branches, or footsteps in the distance. I think its just my mind playing tricks on me, but I'm not letting my guard down.

The wind continues to howl, along with my probably frozen feet, continues to try to trip me up.

I occasionally switch my hands up, while both are on fire, my one on the left is held out, while the one on my right still stings from Flowey's thorns. The wounds have closed, but my hand and arm is covered in coagulated blood, probably the fire cooking it into my skin. Or maybe its frozen and I just can't feel it.

"AH!" I yell, as a loose object trips me, putting me face first into the dirt path, I get up as fast as I can, but I have a hard time standing up, my strength being sapped by the minute. I use my fiery hands to wipe the snow off my face, giving me a small sense of warmth, a sense of hope, as I get up again, and continue my hike.

Keep hope, keep hope.

Do it for Quill... Do it for your parents, they want to see you again, you know that...

My parents...

My Dad is a hero to me. Trying to fight for equal monster rights, against the bigoted hypocrites of the world. My mom is too, she works out of town at a specialty hospital, she nurses for recovering patients.

They aren't home much, but I know they love me. Grandpa and Grandma are why my Dad does what he does, they were among the first people to help the Monsters when they came out of hiding, and continued to advocate for them for years. When they couldn't any more, my Dad took up the reigns, and all that meant. He met my mom after he got really badly hurt on the job, some lunatic tried to kill him for supporting the Monsters! Mom is who nursed him back to health, and they hit it off, and got married soon after. Mom and Dad said I was a huge surprise for them, but they both really wanted to have me regardless! And, other then my health issues, we lived happily... Gabriel, and Kassandra... Those are their names... I'll have to ask them for mine again, when I get back up, when I prove that I'm better, that there are no more voices.

And we can be happy again, because they love me, and I love them...

That's why I need to get out of here. That's why I need to keep hope.

I keep trying to think about the good times we'll have again, but I have to keep focus on the path ahead.

This robe is nice, but I'm wearing a crappy shirt, and shorts under them. My shoes hardly fit, and are worn down to their soles.

That's only half of my problems... I need to find somewhere to rest. Something to eat. A nice hot bath is probably asking for way too much though.

This feels like a gauntlet, to tire and confuse me. Between the weird shaped lamp, the sometimes badly constructed stands, what looked like a microwave on a table, and snow sculptures of dogs. I'm used to seeing things and getting confused, so its not new. Maybe I'm still in that comfy bed, dreaming, not in a stupid frozen cave. Maybe I'm still at Saint Lucille's, and I've gone completely insane. Maybe I'm dead, and this is hell. Anythings better then that god damn asylum

The straight jackets, the cushioned walls and floors, and the muzzles. Days alone, awful food, dark nights, and darker days. All laced with the feeling that I belonged there. That I belonged in that hell. The voices in my mind asking for help, making everything a haze, as days went in and out.

I remember when I was able to sneak a knife in from the kitchen, I cut my wrists, an attempt at death that took months of half minded preparation and good behavior to get to. I remember the pain, I had to really work to cut myself that badly with a dull butter knife... I obviously didn't succeed, I was taken to infirmary, and was bolted down by the arms and legs, forced to be still for weeks while the wounds healed. They never bathed me, and was forced to piss myself with no other options because no one wanted to touch me. When I was free and healed, I was sent back to my cushioned room, with even stricter conditions. I had to be watched around the clock, to make sure I wasn't planning anything, or trying to hurt myself. They didn't give a rats ass about me _unless_ I wanted to hurt myself.

The feeling of being safe from yourself... Its liberating when its of your own volition, but when its forced on you, when death is an escape you aren't allowed... Its hell. But what would hell be, without a devil?

I wince in disgust, memories flooding back, like sour backwash, and the taste of vomit.

Gregory.

Gregory...

He was the worst part.

He was assigned to be my caretaker after my failed suicide attempt. He would give me food, of which he ate most of himself, he would insult me, he would shock me with his prod, often for no reason, and he would... Bathe me... Might has well have been my personal torturer, I remember I would scream whenever I saw him, he was the face that began every day. I asked for help, told them what he was doing, but they didn't believe me. Of course they wouldn't Gregory was a 'perfect' man, well kept, handsome, charismatic, hard working, everyone loved him... What was I? An underage convicted felon freak-show, with half a working brain.

I got the last laugh though, he got too greedy one day, and he payed the price for it. His pocket knife, or mine rather, is something he shouldn't have brought with him, as he wheeled me into the back lot.

The first time I got to see a different persons blood in far too long, and I made sure to enjoy it. His screams were music to my ears, as I paraded in his blood, puncture after puncture... It felt like justice, and its what lead to my freedom. I was able to run before anyone found out, and this where I ended up. I remember feeling... Attracted to the mountain here, but I was chased into a cave by the police, and managed to get away just in time, falling into a hole, hoping for death...

All I wanted was death, or a silent mind before I fell down here, but now that I'm free from the voices? Now that I can die whenever I damn well want? Now that the voices aren't tormenting me?

I'm not gonna give up hope. I'm not gonna let anyone tell me that I can't anymore. I may die down here, but if I do, that won't be that bad, as long as I give it my all first.

It finally looks like I'm getting somewhere, as I stop. There's a long bridge here, I take a cautionary step onto the first plank, the creaking wood is concerning, but I have nowhere else I can go. Its held up for this long, one more patron shouldn't overdo it.

I take my time, the creaking getting louder and louder and I keep going. I have a tight grip on the ropes, while my other hand is still aflame, hardly a candle light at this point.

One step at a time...

One foot in front of the other...

One creak, two creak...

God, how long is this damn bridge?

I fetch my light out of my pocket, to attempt to get a decent view on how much farther the bridge goes for. My fingers have a hard time finding the light, but I do, and get a glimpse a few feet ahead.

I'm stopped in my tracks.

What the hell is that?

I jump back, trip, and fall on my ass, rattling the bridge a great deal.

I hear the creaking of the wooden panels. Confirming what I saw... or, who I saw, was not my imagination.

It was me.

With a sick smile on my face.

I... I dropped my light, and my fire is out. I can't see anything.

I reach my hand up to the rope to try to get up, but...

Whoever this is, reach's something out. Its like a tendril, and it wraps around my arm, and it burns. I scream in protest, but it keeps its grip, as I try to pull away.

It flickers black and white, is this the same thing from the other side?! What the hell is going on?!

After I let out another pained scream, I try to light my arm on fire to get its grip off of me, but it doesn't work, it keeps its vice grip on me.

I can't even see it, but its draining the life out of me, and I can't get it off! I manage to get my footing as I get up, and try to pull away in vain.

I reach for my pocket knife after I scramble my hand under my robe, still thankfully in my pocket, and extend it, and get a good swipe on the tendril. I think its working, but I lose my grip on the knife and it falls into oblivion. Damn!

Shit! The adrenaline is pumping, I have think of something fast!

I look down at the foothold in front of me, and give it a firm kick, and after another it snaps in the center. I grab my arm that's being attacked, and pull with all my might. The pain is tremendous, but I manage to pull the thing closer and get a look at it, before it fails to make a foothold, it tries to hold on to my arm and drag me down, but my grip is strong enough on the rope to keep on the bridge. Its hanging off my arm, trying to pull me down with it, but its not that heavy.

Its emotionless stare remains as it up at me, its eyes blank and lifeless, but it has a sinister smile, as it seems to have no regard for its own life.

I keep trying to shake it off, as I feel myself losing my grip on the ropes. "JUST DIE ALREADY!" I scream, as I give its face a good kick, and a second, freeing my arm from its grasp. It falls out of sight, its grimace remains as the blackness swallowing its white figure. I fall back on the remaining creaky panels, my heart still beating out of my chest, the adrenaline still pumping.

It looked like me, why the hell did it look like me?

I start to breath, cold air in my face as I get my footing again. I need to go now! I make a quick step over the absent foothold to the next, gripping the ropes as hard as I can in case the next foothold fails too.

After a careful shimmy down the last half of the bridge, i'm finally on solid ground again. I would hug the ground, but that's much to cold for me to even think about it.

I grip my abused arm in pain. When that... Thing latched onto it, it left what I can only call burns, the burns pulsate a white and black, magic I assume. I can't light the arm on fire now either, shit...

What the hell was that... thing? It made Flowey look tame, I've never seen a monster like that.

I can't stay here, I need to keep going. It may come after me. I need to move. I get up, but I trip, the exhaustion not letting me move. The adrenaline's wearing off, and that's not gonna be good when it does, I can already feel the pain getting worse.

I manage to start limping, the right side of my body feeling completely sapped. I reach for my flashlight, only to realise again it, and my pocket knife, were both lost to the abyss. My fire in my left hand is so weak that I can hardly see a meter in front of me, and my right hand is pained and unusable.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no..." I murmur to myself as I limp forward, starting to get scared.

There's a large sign that comes into sight I manage to stumble too. I try to read it, but I'm stopped by my own gagging, as I puke the contents of my stomach onto the ground. The taste is awful, and makes me feel dizzy. I recover somewhat, and attempt to read the sign again, it takes a moment of focus, but it says "Welcome to Snowdin Town."

A bit of hope, a town means housing, right? I need to get inside. I don't feel that cold, and I know that's a really bad thing. I keep limping on forward, and I'm greeted by a small building. I rush to the door, but it doesn't open. I start knocking, vainly hoping someone will answer. My pained hand keeps trying to open it, as I hope and hope someone answers. But nobody does. I keep knocking, but nothing happens.

"Please..." I plead, continuing to knock.

I stop, after what felt like an eternity of knocking. My knuckles are bleeding, and now I can't use fire from either hand. I'm shaking, I'm crying, and I'm losing hope. I can feel frozen snot running down my abused nose, and cracked lips.

I abandon the door in panic, and slowly continue down the path. Snowdin doesn't seem like it has much. After the first building, I'm not seeing anything new. There's nothing...

Come on, come on!

I keep pressing on. But I feel like I'm living on borrowed time.

Another building comes into sight, but I'm going way too slowly. It feels like I'm not even moving, or as if the building is moving away from me.

Come on, this one will open, I know it will... It has to...

Its a... Restaurant? What the hell is a restaurant doing down here? I don't take much time to think about it, as I rush as fast as I can to the door.

I can push it in a bit, but I think its frozen in place. I need to get in, come on...

I force my left shoulder into the door, and I feel it give a bit, but its not enough. I have almost no strength. Any other day I could probably just push the door open with ease, but that's not today.

I'm on deaths door, and I need in, or even out, depending on how you look at things.

All my bones ache, but I back up, and put all of the strength I have into one push. It works! the door is pushed open enough for me to squeeze in.

I don't take any time to look around, as I push the door closed, and once I do, I collapse after making it to the center of the room. My body gives up, as I crawl up against one of the barstool's.

This is a start, but I need to find something to warm myself. My breathing is rapid and erratic. I start to look around, black spots in my vision. I try to heat up by rubbing my hands together, but my hands are too shaky for it to be any good. I need to get warm, and I need to do it soon, if I faint now, I'm probably not gonna wake up.

Focus... Focus, you need to focus...

I spend minutes creating friction between my hands, as I try as hard as I can to warm up. My magic still isn't working... I need to look around for something better. A blanket, anything. Or... alcohol! I need alcohol!

I manage to get on my feet, the snow from my shoes makes it difficult, but I manage.

Yeah, this is a bar. Everything is dusty, but it is populated, chairs, booths, and a counter on the other end. This place hasn't seen any patrons in years. I muster myself to the other end of the counter, vainly trying to find something to eat, or drink. There's a nice shelf here, where I'm sure it was lined with all sorts of drinks at one time. Its backed by a mirror, but its too dark to really see anything. I'm just reaching and touching around to get my bearings, the tips of my fingers numb. I feel around and find a light switch next to the shelf, I flick it, not expecting anything to happen, but to my surprise, the lights turn on.

I take a quick glance to see if there was anything I missed, but I don't think so. I take a look at the mirror backing, and see a grisly sight of myself.

Its me, a really messed up me, but its me nonetheless. My face is black and blue, I'm sure some type of frostbite, my arms are either covered in blood, or exposed to strange bright white burns, which still sting a great deal. I'm a shaking corpse of a person, but I can't help but crack a smile.

I'm alive, and I'm not giving up.

A weak sneeze, and a shot of pain through my arm reminds me of what caused it, as I gasp, and quickly turn the light switch back off, realizing I could have just lit a signal to where I am. It was only on for maybe half a minute, but it was a stupid mistake nonetheless, as I mutter curses to myself.

I get on my knees, and open the small cupboards under the counter, and to my pleasant surprise, I find a bottle of... something, I can't read what it is, but I take it with me, my weakened hands struggling to grasp the bottle. None of the other shelves supply with anything other then a few small glass cups, which I also take one of. I really hope this is alcohol, it would be perfect.

The only thing left to check is a door in the back corner, I try to open it, but it won't budge. There's no lock on the door, so why won't it open? Its not cold enough to be frozen, and I know this doesn't go out back, or I would feel the cold air. Maybe I just can't feel cold properly anymore.

There's a small sign next to the door, I manage to light the smallest of fire in my left hand to try and read it. It takes a moment to read the small message through my shaking form.

"Fire exit. Fire only." What? Is this just a gag? I read it again to make sure I'm reading right, but that's what it says.

I rest my inflamed hand on the door trying to make sense of the joke, as I squint at it. The door then creaks open with no resistance, almost tripping me.

I need to open the door with fire? That can't be safe. Who made this?

Cameramen are going to come out from behind the counter, and a studio audience is going to laugh at me, its all a joke! I got prank'd!

Ugh, I hope this bottle is hard liquor, I need it right now.

I close the door behind me, and see another door right in front of it, and stairs that lead down. The door here is probably the actual fire exit, not the stupid joke one. I opt to avoid going back outside, and instead, go down the stairs, carefully limping, feeling around reveals another light switch near the stair railing, which I flip, lighting very dim light bulbs, and revealing what seems to be a small living space, and storage room. Two small beds, a few barren shelves, a fridge, a desk, all in a pretty ugly cellar style... After taking a quick look behind me to make sure the door is closed tight, I rush to the fridge, vainly hoping to find something to eat, leaving my bottle and glass behind on the desk.

The fridge is empty, other then a small jar of pickles.

I've never grabbed something faster in my life, but of course it can't be that easy, the jar is secured tight. My weak hands stand no chance, but that won't stop me. I grab the jar, take it to the desk, and slam its neck into the desks rigid corner. After a few whacks, the jars top breaks, covering my hand in the jars juice. Thankfully I don't cut my hand, something I should have been careful of, I know how nasty glass cuts can be. After fetching the jagged lid off of the top, I slowly reach in and grab a pickle, as the jars liquids drain from cracks running along its side.

I devour the jar in seconds, and its the best meal I've had in years, and I don't even like pickles.

It ends too soon, as I'm still left starving for something more. I set the jagged jar aside, still being careful not to cut myself. I would have drunken the pickle juice if it didn't all leak out. I'm such an idiot, why did I just eat cold pickles from a cold fridge, when I'm probably more frostbitten then a abandoned cryo-sleeper.

I take the bottle I brought down from upstairs, and read its label, as I bask in the sour taste of the pickles.

"Grillby's danger tonic." I read aloud "The strongest alcohol in the underground!" I put it down for a moment, I need to explore the room sober, but more importantly...

I head to the empty middle of the room after taking a few bar tending uniforms that were on the shelf. I throw them in the middle, poor some of the liquor on them, and use my weak fire to light them ablaze. Its a small fire, but it burns bright, and warm most importantly. I reach my hand in, and sure enough, it doesn't hurt at all, only providing a euphoric sense of heat. I strip out of my wet and cold clothes right away, and just jump into the fire, letting myself heat up. Just like my fire magic, there's no smoke, thankfully. My legs and feet are a disgusting blue and purple mess, i'm surprised I can even stand on them at all. The burns on my arm still sting a great deal, but at least it makes the pain from Flowey's thorns feel inconsequential.

I stay like this for a while, finally getting feeling back in my digits, as I get a bit of rest, even if still awake. After the fire weakens a bit, I get up, and my body protests, as I feel how cold the rest of the room is compared to the warm fire bath. I take the bottle, and pour a bit more alcohol on the fire, strengthening it again.

I start to walk around the room in the nude, seeing if there's anything else useful. Maybe not useful, but there is a small photo frame on the desk, I dust it off and see two monsters. Both are made of fire, they must have lived here, seeing that stupid door upstairs. One is wearing a bartenders outfit and a pair of glasses, I can only assume him to be the titular Grillby, which is what the giant sign on the restaurant must have said. The other looks like a girl with its lithe form, instead of a normal orange fire, shes a nice shade of green, and in a school uniform. His daughter most likely, or maybe he was a player with the young hot ladies. Heh. My bad joke gets me a bad sneeze as a reward, ugh.

I set the now snotty photo down on the desk, and open the bottle of liquor again, which is surprisingly not a tight close. I pour myself a small glass and take a sip, and then almost spit it out, its so bitter and strong, how revolting! I'll have more later.

I walk to the other corner, there's two beds are lined with thick sheets and blankets, of which I assume is a flame retardant material. Wait... How did those uniforms light fire then? Maybe they had non-fire employee's? Whatever it was, I'm not complaining...

I continue limping around the room, going to the bookshelf near the fridge, to see if there's anything useful. A bunch of dusty ol' books alright. I read their titles aloud.

"Fire safety and you!" Nice.

"Monster Compatibility." I take a quick read to ponder the confusing title, only to close it. I may take a look at this later...

"Underground Business and Economy." Boring, but maybe interesting.

"Basic Culinary Magic; a Primer." I bolt back to the fire with the book in hand, and start reading it, glad to have things be going right for once.

"Magic is the act of creating reality from imagination, expressing something from your soul and making it take form. Making food is no different, and while its not as simple as just thinking of your favorite food and making it appear, eventually, you'll be making three course meals with little effort."

After an hour or so of drunken reading in the fires light, I manage to conjure a pickle from thin air. It tastes weird, but its food nonetheless. I make sure to down it with my drink. Huh, the book said it could take weeks of training to conjure food properly, but I did it with almost none. Chumps. It doesn't say if it actually nourishes humans or not, but I think it should work.

I manage to make a few more pickles, and they start to taste normal after a while, but maybe its just because I'm really hungry, or really drunk.

Where was this when humanity was struggling with world hunger for like the last a hundred years? Even the Monsters on the surface can't do this. These underground monsters have it goin on. Or maybe not, seeing as there's no one down here anymore. According to the book, conjured food doesn't spoil, is just as nutritious, doesn't make it through your digestive system, and is just... Way better then normal food in almost every way from how the book explains it, it only depends on the skill of its conjurer. Who knows, maybe Human blood is just better at magic. I don't have to worry about being hungry anymore, sure is convenient I found this. It would be nice if I could make stuff other then pickles though, I've already had a few jars worth, and its making me want to puke again. I could conjure liquor, but I'm already regretting drinking so much.

Meh, might as well finish it. I finish the last of the liquor, put down the book, and limp my way to the beds, letting loose a few hiccups on my way.

As the fire fades, I sleep under the thick covers of a fire mans bed, warm, and alive.

* * *

 _Dragged off in the middle of the night again._

 _Its him, who else would it be?_

 _He keeps me quiet as I struggle, his deeds not allowed._

 _My mouth bonded, my resistances go unheard, not that they would matter._

 _We're outside. I know whats happening, my mind comprehends it enough._

 _Silence, as he caresses my side, a misplaced attempt at comforting me?_

 _The ugly men arrive, and our fun begins._

* * *

I wake up screaming in a cold sweat, looking around me with no end of panic. It takes a few moments of exasperated breathing, but I calm down. Same nightmare, different night. I cradle my stomach for a while, before getting up.

Looks like conjured alcohol doesn't give hangovers, that's nice. I wake and feel very able, my body is still sore, and my digits sting, but I have renewed vigor, ready to keep going. My right arm is still covered in the imprint of that thing from the other day, I can manage to light the attached hand aflame, and it even makes the fire a bright white on that side, oh, never mind, the fire was only white for a moment, but my magic is back in full force, my arms can be engulfed again, and it provides a strong sense of heat in the absence of the liquor fire from last night.

I'm not in a rush, after I wake up, and have a few pickles, I start reading some of the other books.

The monster compatibility one is hot, bunch of nude pictures of cuties. Apparently crossbreeding between monster species is selective, and while most species can do the dirty together if they have the tools for it, only certain species can actually procreate with each other. Makes sense, Monsters have always seemed way more accepting of appearances then Humans are, they don't give a shit if other monsters look different, because every monster looks different. Humans get mad if one Human is more brown then another. Who knows, maybe monsters were like that at a time too, I doubt it though. It also says here that its almost never the body that prevents monsters from breeding, as procreation stems from a union of love and magic creating a new soul more then anything else. Is that why same sex monster couples can have children? This is pretty neat stuff.

Hmm... I know whenever Humans and Monsters on the surface hooked up, nothing good ever came out of it, other Humans still not accepting of just Monsters shun the couple even more, treating the Human "sympathizer" even worse than the monster in some cases. This is strange... Book doesn't mention that Humans and Monsters _can_ successfully breed too, that's a whole barrel of fun, world didn't kindly react to that knowledge... Maybe some Monsters are just compatible with Humans, or maybe its just a freak accident type thing? None of these books even mention Humans at all, making me wonder just how long they were down here, or if they even knew that. Did monsters originate down here? I hope I can find out...

I think about it a bit more. The two books on magic mention that Monsters are almost entirely magic, and a bit of water, as opposed to Humans being a mix of organic and mostly water. Speaking of water, according to the culinary book, with water being the most important part of any life on Earth, any being that can use Magic has water conjuring almost hot-wired into them. It seems to be true, within seconds of trying to create water for the first time, my palms fill with bubbles of the stuff. A quick swig reveals it to be really bland and a bit lukewarm, but its water alright. Apparently even conjured water does make it through digestive tracks though, as water can't really be half-assed the same way the properties of food can be.

I start to remember what I thought I knew about Monsters, and everything I'm learning down here contradicts all of that, even though most of what I learned was directly from them. After a complete read of the culinary book, I set it down, and take a second look at the other books.

I don't bother with the business book much, just a bunch of jargon that the apparent king and queen of this hole made to make sure business was fair. The fire one was just basic safety with actual fire, and some of the rules of fire magic, all stuff I had already figured out. The compatibility book was small, mostly pictures, which was sweet, but still really interesting nonetheless, even if none of the info was practical for down here.

I think I need to go. I know its safe, but there's nothing left for me here, and it may not be safe for much longer.

I debate taking a book or two with me, but I think it would just be dead weight, so I put them back on the shelves. I do fashion the thick blankets into stockings of sorts, to protect my still purple tinted legs from the cold, I don't know how much longer I have to go down here, and hopefully not much longer in the cold.

I'm as well rested and ready as I can be, I'm ready to go. The cold doesn't stand a chance, not with my fire back to full strength. And with knowledge of conjured liquor, I can always have a strong fire in a pinch. Hunger is no longer an issue either, and I'm sure I'll find more places of safety to rest.

Confidence.

Determination.

Both of these things are stopped dead in their tracks, along with myself.

As I'm halfway up the stairs, I notice something at the top, between the two doors, looking down on me. Quite a curious sight.

Neatly placed and even, its my flashlight and pocket knife.


	5. Chapter 4 - Memories

THE NINTH FALL - Chapter 4 "Memories."

* * *

 _Somewhere else, some time else..._

A choice of damnation's for my only child.

Death, or Hell.

"What if they get better?" I vainly ask.

"You know that won't happen Gabriel."

I take a deep breath as I stare at the ceiling. This whole building reeks of sterility, and pain. As I look down at the Lawyer next to me, he looks at his watch, surely awaiting the time he can leave, I don't blame him, this consultation wasn't supposed to be at a hospital. I get weird looks from the countless passing nurses, doctors, and surgeons as we sit outside ***'s room. Last night, they killed a nurse that was tending to them. A second violent outburst resulting in death in less then a week. Another family robbed of a loved one, thanks to my seed.

"Would... I be able to visit them?" I ask, still pondering the option. Death via lethal injection, sentencing to death by court order, or indefinite holding in St. Lucille's asylum for the mentally destitute.

"Of course, every month or so. If you could deal with their mental state, that is." He says with a cross of his arms.

"I... need a while to think about this." I say after thinking for a minute or so.

"You have a week before the trial, try to let me know within the week though. The victims family's are already hounding me for defending a 'monster' such as your child, they are hungry for justice." He says, getting up from his chair, and dusting his pants off. I can't help but get angry at the comment, these parents would do the same for their child, no matter what they did, how _dare_ they ridicule ***. I was hounded on my way up by a crowd of people with signs that read 'Justice for Jacob.' I feel for the poor boy, I really do, but... this is my child, and I need to defend them too...

I stay silent. "Spend as much time with *** as you can, before you regret it. Don't overdo it Gabriel, goodbye for now." He says after turning around towards me, before walking away. He doesn't give a shit, he's just in it for the money. He talks as if my child is a spawn of a devil, or a psychopath. They're... just a child... why won't anyone spare my child even just one kind thought, or hopeful word...?

After a bit of contemplation, I rise, and enter their room. Its dark, only a bit of the daylight reaches from around the blinds and into the room. I see ***. They are strapped in their cot, forced to be still, with a crude mask over their mouth. Their heart rate is slow, but occasionally spikes in speed, before resting again. My parental instincts tell me to free ***, to run away with them, as far as I can go. A fugitive fantasy, one of a cabin in the wilderness, one where me and my child can be happy. But its just that, a fantasy. My only duty as a father now, is to make sure more families can't be torn apart by them.

I begin to slowly walk towards ***, my work shoes breaking the complete silence of the room. I wonder, if this room wasn't sound insulated, would someone have been able to save that poor nurse...?

The floors are clean now, nothing like yesterday, I've never seen that much blood in my life... the smell is something I'll never forget.

I quietly grab a chair, and set it down next to ***'s cot. I spend some time just staring at them, they look so peaceful despite everything. It reminds me of better days, when just short months ago I would go to wake them up for school, and I would just... watch them sleep for a while, and be happy... because back then I thought I would watch them grow up into an outstanding adult, day by day. I decide to break the silence, to free myself from my misery. "***? Are you awake?" I meekly ask.

They start tossing, and after a moment, looks over to me. "Dad?" My child asks, obviously dazed.

"Yeah sweetie, its me..." I say, distracted by ***'s bloodshot eyes, they obviously have been getting very poor sleep, if any. They... still have dried blood on them, they still smell like the death they wrought.

"When are we gonna go home?" They ask me in a weak tone. "..." I can't bring myself to respond to that, even though I attempt to.

There's a few moments of silence, as they look around the room, I can see them try to move, but they realize just how bonded they are. "Wheres mom? Has she come back yet? I want to say sorry." They ask quietly. "She... had important work things to do. You'll see her soon." I blatantly lie.

"Okay..." They respond. I keep trying to come up with something to say, but... I just can't bring myself too. I think *** understands too, they are usually way more talkative then this, even just yesterday...

They start to murmur to themselves, and shaking their cot. But it stops as soon as it started.

"I killed someone again, didn't I?" they ask, their voice cracking, sadness apparent.

I swallow. "Yeah... you did." I manage to gurgle out, *** starts to get restless, what I can see of their face is panicked and stressed.

"I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to..." They repeat through tears. "I know you didn't sweetie... I believe you..." I say a halfhearted truth, as I'm filled with cognitive dissonance.

I listen to them cry for a little while. *** is smart. They know what this means for them.

"Can you make the voices stop? Dad? They won't stop yelling, I can't sleep, I can't think, I can't focus." They plead, I can hear the desperation...

"They tell me to kill. They tell me to maim. To run. And they WON'T STOP." Their voice begins to madden, as the cot continues to shake. "Please... HELP ME!" A bloodcurdling scream.

I scramble to my feet, and pace, as my child calls out to me in desperation. My heart feels like its about to burst. I think about what they did yesterday. They truly are mad, aren't they? Nurse Kelly was her name, she got along with *** well in the days after Jacob's death, she was kind, and cared for my child as if it were her own. But that didn't matter when *** snapped again. She had her throat torn open as if attacked by a rampant dog, and that dog was ***.

Would... would this have happened anyways? They've always been like this... Or is this just their health? My mind just keeps going back and forth and back and forth. They are manipulative, they are innocent, they are evil, they are misunderstood...

I feel like I'm going crazy too. Was Kassandra right...?

Should I have ran away with her? Like she asked of me?

One last look at them, as they scream. Their eyes of murder, and death. Of pain, and sadness.

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders, I'm defending a demon, a shadow of my precious child... Inner turmoil, a tug of war ripping apart my heart, fought by my brain and soul. A struggle of destitution, a war within... My fists curl, as I look at my lap, trying to think over the sounds of madness.

Until I come to a decision.

I... can't do this anymore.

I don't even turn around to face them, as I start to walk out of the room, their screaming starts to get more and more distressed.

A mix of screaming and sobbing, they know what I'm doing, as I become the thing I promised I wouldn't, and damn my child to death.

I'm sorry I'm not strong enough to be your father.

* * *

Ten minutes of cold sweat, five minutes of existential dread.

All my confidence wiped, in a single vision. Well, maybe not all of it. I'm not letting this stop me, just scare me a little. Or a lot.

Its worse outside, err, inside the mountain then it was last night. A heavy blizzard is blowing through, with enough wind to make me feel like I'm going to collapse. I think I'm out of town, I haven't seen any buildings in a few minutes, I wanted to stop at the other houses and such to see if there was anything interested, but I feel like that's just allowing myself to get cornered. Shame, I would have liked to stop at the library, or "librarby" rather, seeing how many interesting things I've been learning from books down here.

My train of thought is interrupted by a forceful push from the wind, almost enough to make me fall over. I have to go slower then I'd like to, getting better footholds to fight against the wind. It does give me a better chance to make sure I stay on what I can only assume is the path forward.

My fire is making things better, at least compared to how I was doing last night, both of my arms are engulfed, the arms of my robe seem to be resistant to it, but the rest of my clothing isn't, the arm holes of my shirt are charred. I'm actually not that cold at the moment, my makeshift hat and leggings keeping me somewhat warm, but my shitty shoes are making this a nightmare, the snow melting and getting sucked into the soles of the shoes. I didn't check my feet too much last night, I hope they aren't frostbitten too bad, but I'd totally trade a toe or two for a decent pair of boots right about now.

My knife and light are secure back in my pockets, safe and sound, if not unsettling to me as to _how_ they came back. Is someone looking out for me? Flowey? It was probably him. That makes me feel... a bit better compared to the alternative.

The wind is howling, its so goddamn loud. Maybe its my ears freezing off, but it boggles my mind at how strong this wind can be in a giant cave like this.

This is dredging up a bad memory...

* * *

A snowy day, on the way home from school. I'm walking home with a friend from school, my only one. The suburbia of New Providence looks tranquil in the winter weather, a light snowfall has never hurt anyone. Its quite a walk home, having to go through regular suburbia for quite a while before you get to the sectioned off Monster suburbia. Once we get to my place, we usually hang out for a bit, and then Mom or Dad will drive her home, as its way too dangerous for a Monster kid to be walking in the city.

We gotta get to my place soon, a big blizzard was forecasted today.

"***... can you help me with my homework tonight?" Charlotte, my monster classmate asks me. She kinda looks like an spider person, but with translucent light purple skin, you can see both of her parents in her easily.

"You know I'm not that good at math Char..." I respond to her, my hands behind my head.

"My mom is reaaaaally good at it, I'd rather have her then a calculator!" she beams, putting an arm up.

"...Then why don't you ask her?" I ask, confused. She can be a bit absentminded sometime, but she means well.

She stammers. "Oh! Shes always busy running the store, and doing managing work, whenever else..." Her mood dampens, as she sighs. "I don't get to spend much time with her nowadays. Every time we sit down and talk, she gets a call, always saying she'll make it up to me, but its been like that since last year..." she walks with her head down. I sigh as I think about last year, ever since The Culling...

I try to smile. "Sure, I'll help you out. I need help with mine too anyways." I say towards her, and she gasps. She scares me by jumping at me and hugging me from the side.

"You're the greatest ***! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she yelps into my ear.

Well, this isn't the first time shes asked me... I usually decline, but how can I say no to a sad, yet pretty girl? I can't help but grin, as her cheek rubs into mine...

She lets go after she realizes she was hanging onto me for a bit too long, and we start walking again. She has a big dumb smile on her face as she skips along, her long santa style hat bobbing.

"We turn here Charlotte." I say to her, as she absentmindedly misses our turn. "Oh!" She exclaims with surprise as she does a double take, and then scrambles to catch up with me.

The houses here are gorgeous, sleek whites, chromes, and stainless steel make up the minimalist housing. Some of the houses roofs are so slick, even the small snowfall just slides right off. Similarly modern housing goes with similarly modern vehicles, floating cars are finally standard to the middle class. Sleek ovular cars go with sleek boxy houses, a peer inside as a kid runs in, probably home from school... Ugh, that's Jacob, I know him, he's real annoying, always staring at me... His parents resemble him, and give him a nice wholesome hug as he gets in. His dad notices me and Charlotte through the window, and gives me a stern look, before voice commanding his windows to turn off, but I do make sure to give him the finger as the windows dim. I can't even walk home in peace without getting harassed, can I?

"Whats up with your parents?" Charlotte asks me after some more uneventful walking.

"Nothing much. Dads busy with his job, moms busy with her stuff too, as usual. I don't get to have much time with them, so I'm usually just stuck in my room fooling around on my computer, or reading." I say. I thought Charlotte had a really good relationship with her mom, but it sounds like its been the much the same for her recently too. "Do you ever get worried about your dad?" She asks with an inquisitive look.

"Sometimes... He gets a lot of threats in the mail. I've snuck a look at a few of them, its always scary stuff. Like how this one guy said that he'd-" I start saying before Charlotte interjects. "Please, I don't want to know, okay?" She interrupts me suddenly and nervously. Usually I hate it when people are prude, but... I understand with her case. "Sorry." I wince, knowing I hit a tender spot. I can't imagine what it would have been like for her...

"Its okay..." She hangs her head low.

I look away from her, taking a look at the high rises and buildings of downtown, visible in the distance, all sorts of cars and convoys floating around them, like flies around a lamp. "So... you wanna play some video games when we get to my house? How's some VR tag sound?" I ask her, she's bad at the games, but she likes playing nonetheless, its easy practice for me, so I don't complain. I know she really likes reading, and I do too, so sometimes we'll just read together, and discuss the book we're both reading, makes the boring books we're assigned in class a bit more bearable.

She peps up a bit."Sure! Uh, As long as we get the homework done tonight, okay?" "Sounds good." I respond, hoping she forgets. I hate math.

"I'm just really glad I have someone to spend time with..." She says. "I don't like this school all that much, I'm bullied all the time, the work feels way too hard, the teachers way too strict, and its just so stressful. All because I'm a monster..." She sounds so sad. We've both dealt with our fair share of bullying, but we don't usually talk about it, and its just passing when we do.

"I know how you feel. When its either my dad and his job, or me hanging out with you, or whatever else, I get a lot of it too." I say, kinda embellishing it, yeah, I get picked on, but they generally don't egg me on since I kicked the one kids ass for calling me a duster. I'm lucky no one found out about that...

"I... Don't know how some people can be so hurtful... The other day... Fargo said he hopes my Mom dies too. That hurt so much, and he laughed at me when I started to cry..." she sulks. This gets me to stop in place. "What? I hate that damn kid! I'm going to knock his lights out the next time I see him!" I shout, standing in place, this seems to frighten Charlotte. "You know what? I'm going to go find him right now!" I seethe with anger. Charlotte is nothing but kind to everyone, but Humans are always the same, they just want to pick on the minority.

"Please ***, don't, you'll get expelled! Its not right to respond with violence, they haven't hurt me!" she stammers back to me loudly, pulling on my arm with all four of of her arms as I start to walk back towards the school.

"You gotta learn to stop letting him trample on you!" I shout back as I pull my arm back from her, but she holds on and I end up pulling her onto the ground face first. She lets out a yelp of pain, damn it...

"Shit! I'm sorry!" I mutter as I rush to her and offer my hand, it takes a moment for her to take it, but she does, and uses her three other hands to help herself get up. She lets go of my hand, and I can see shes crying... You can be such a baby sometimes, grow up...

"I think... I'll go home today on my own, please don't do anything stupid. Have a good night ***..." she says before turning around with her head down... I open my mouth to say something, but the words don't come out...

My hand curls up into a fist, as I turn around and run back towards the school. Fargo, you're gonna pay for this! I'm seething as I run. I know the assholes hang out in the back near the dumpsters, the perfect place for them really.

After a few minutes of sprinting I'm there, my fists curled. The School is a big place, not that much smaller then a university, built really recently, all state of the art and all that garbage. All of the buses are already gone, so the place is already dead other then the kids staying for extra curricular stuff, I run around the back, but stop to take a quick breather. I've been sprinting for almost 10 minutes now, and while I'm not out of gas yet, I unzip my coat to cool off a bit, and crack my knuckles in ready for whats sure to be a fight. Fargo and his buddies like to stay in this weird corner where no one can see them smoke, or do drugs. I turn the corner, ready to shout him down, but he isn't there, but his three chums are. I get their attention by shouting at them.

"WHERE THE HELL IS FARGO?!" I scream it louder then I wanted too. I can feel my nails digging into my hands.

"What? Why the hell do you want to know, freak?" One of them says, getting off of the dumpster he was sitting on. His other two croney's, Gary and Philip starts walking towards me, one looks at me with a stupid smug grin, while Philip just looks concerned,

Gary looks at me with a smile "Why you wanna know, you gotta crush on him? He's doesn't roll that way you duster." My teeth grit, as I look at him in silence. "Well are you gonna-" he starts before I sucker punch him in the nose, knocking him straight into the ground, I hear a nice crack as he bites the cement. "WHERE THE HELL IS HE?!" I scream at the Philip.

He looks surprised, and puts his hands up. "I don't want trouble with you, I'll tell-" I punch him right in the nose too. He gasps as he holds his hands to his face, all scrunched over. "You broke my nose you psychopath!" Gary mutters from the ground through his bloody mouth, Philip already ran away clutching his nose. I don't give Gary any mercy, putting all my power into my leg, sending it right into his crotch. This gets a nice scream out of him as he curls up like the insect he is, stammering as he tries to say something. "YOU GODDAMN FREAK I'LL KILL YOU, YOU-" I interrupt him with another meaty kick to the groin. Another scream is music to my ears, I've been looking forward to this.

"Where. Is. Fargo." I say through gritted teeth, making sure the last one on the dumpster hears it, I'm losing my patience. He looks speechless, frantically looking around. "NOW, OR YOU'LL GET IT LIKE THOSE IDIOTS DID!" I yell at him.

"He said he was going to check up on your friend, okay? I don't want anything to do with this!" He says between long gasps.

My heart drops. Charlotte is alone...

I give one good last kick to Gary's side as a good measure before I start running back to where Charlotte was, Philip lets out a loud yelp as I pass him. Oh no... I really messed up, I shouldn't have left her alone! ***, you're so stupid sometimes!

I feel like I'm going to puke up my lungs, I'm out of breath, but I'm full of adrenaline.

If he puts his hand on her, I'll kill him. Cold blood murder the bastard.

The wind begins to howl, as the snowing starts to pick up. Shit! I forgot about the weather forecast, but it won't stop me.

This is the path to her house, unlike most monsters in Providence, she lives in a Human neighborhood in the city, for her Mothers sake. We've only walked to her place once together, so I know where she'll be heading, I just gotta hope Fargo doesn't. Oh god the snow is so bad, I need to find her. I pull out my phone and call her as I'm running, but shes not picking up.

I'm starting to get nervous as I sprint down the paths, having to take far too much time to make sure I'm going down the right streets. I run across the bridge that connects the suburbia with the city, but I hear shouting under the bridge. That son of a bitch! Its Charlotte!

I double back, and head down the path to underneath, I see two outlines ahead, one of the larger Fargo pushing Charlotte to ground as she squeals. "Where do you think you get off rejecting me? Who do you think you are?!" He speaks down to her, as she covers her head with her arms, expecting a beating most likely. I don't waste any time talking, only seeing red as I rush him.

He hears my running and turns around, I don't give him time to speak before jumping him with a good right hook. "***!" Charlotte yells my name, as I straddle Fargo, and start throwing punches at his face, over and over. It hurts my fists as I send repeated blows into his face over, and over.

I can feel Charlotte trying to pull me off, as she shouts my name. "Please get off of him! You're no better then him by doing this!" I can hear her panicking, and probably crying by her tone. "*** PLEASE!" She shouts again.

I stop after another moment, his face a bloody mess, but hes still breathing, unfortunately. I get up and face Charlotte.

I take a break from my hyperventilating. "Don't worry... i'm do-" I'm interrupted by a sharp slap to my right cheek. I put my hand up to my cheek in surprise, I never thought...

"You idiot! He wasn't hurting me, he was just toying with me! You almost killed him!" She spits vitriol in my direction, as her face is still wet with tears.

"I..." start meekly before she starts yelling at me again. "You always do this! Try to fight my own battles for me, and now you're gonna get expelled for it... And I'll be all alone... And... And..." Her anger leads to more crying.

My balled fists finally relax.

"I couldn't let him treat you like that! All those stooges do nothing but harass us all the time!" I say to her. "I just wanted them to leave you alone..." My anger starts to falter. Its always hard to stay mad around her... "Is he dead...?" Charlotte says after a moment of only wind.

I look back, and I can see him breathing steadily.

"Nah, I just messed up his face." I say, hopefully getting a laugh outta her, as I punctuate it with a laugh. "..." She doesn't find that funny.

I swallow my pride.

"I really like you. Okay?" I say through the knot in my throat. "...huh?" she says, looking confused. Oh come on...

"I..." I start, before getting tackled to the ground. I hear Charlotte gasp. Its Fargo, hes on top of me... He looks really mad, his blood dripping on me... He gives me a taste of my own medicine. The first punch hurts, I manage to grab his arm before the second lands. but I'm... not strong enough., too exhausted from everything before this.

A second punch.

A third.

A fourth. I can taste blood.

A fifth, I hear a crack.

The wind is howling.

A sixth. My vision starts to fade.

A seventh does not arrive.

"***! ***! ***!" she shouts "Please wake up!"

"No... No... No..." Its Charlotte, she sounds like shes losing all composure.

I open my mouth to speak, but I start to cough.

I flip over, and cough blood into the snow. I can feel sharp pain all over my face.

"***! Are you okay?!" Charlotte is kneeling next to me, trying to support my back, but failing to do so.

Fargo is on the ground next to me. I can see device in Charlotte's hands, is that a taser? So much for no violence, I can't believe it, how long has she had that...? That's... the funniest thing I've ever seen.

I look up to her, and give her a toothy grin.

"Never better." I say, blood dribbling down my face.

She gives me a really tight hug. It takes a moment, but I return it with a weak embrace, which we hold for a moment. I try not to get any blood on her cute jacket, but I'm not sure how well a job I do.

After we release, I stand up, and stretch a bit, while Charlotte kneels, checking on Fargo. I point at my most likely messed up face once she looks back at me.

"You think this'll get me an extension on the math homework?" I ask like a huge doofus.

Her look of concern melts away as she cracks up into laughter and hugs me again. "Thanks for saving me, but don't ever do something like that ever again you idiot." she whispers into my ear, before we both make sure Fargo's okay.

* * *

Fargo was the one who ended up expelled, and in the hospital, luckily enough. He wasn't even that hurt, Charlotte's a huge wimp, but she got em real good. So, the police usually don't trust the accounts of monsters, but I think Charlotte's mom saved our hides somehow, probably something involving money. I got really hurt, ended up getting a bunch of stitches and a broken nose, worried the hell out of my parents, again. Her mom did see really happy with me when I finally went to their place to help her with homework the next day, and I even asked, yes her mom was the one who got her daughter to bring a taser of all things to school.

Charlotte, the naive girl... my affection flew right over her head... I really liked the girl. Maybe I had a crush on her because she was the only friend I had? I really miss her. We seemed a lot closer after that incident, I wonder if I'll ever see her again, and if she would still like me, even after all I've done?

I smile, the memory is nostalgic, such better times those were.

Maybe that wasn't the bad memory I remembered it being...

The wind and snow have finally let up, and led me to an open cave, with a frozen river leading alongside it. The exit has to be this way!

Charlotte... Mom... Dad...

I'm gonna see you again, even if its the last thing I ever do.


	6. Chapter 5 - Mimicry

THE NINTH FALL - Chapter 5 "Mimicry."

* * *

 _Somewhere else, some time else..._

"When I grow up... I want to be just like you!" I confidently say to my babysitter. My parents are out shopping, so we called a close friend of the family in to watch me for a little bit. She lives nearby, so its not a big deal. I'm twelve, so while I'm more then old enough to stay home alone, I don't get to see her that often, and I love to talk with her. So many interesting stories and tales, and she has a ton of new ones every time I see her!

She gets a curious smile, and kneels down to meet my eyes. "What do you mean Gabe?"

"I want to be an ambassador!" I say, envying her job.

Her face shows concern. "Gabriel, we've gone over this before... Its a very hard job, imagine having homework every night for the rest of your life, its worse than that." She says in a concerned tone, her expression becoming one of worry, as she sits down on our huge couch.

"Then why do you do it?" I ask her a question I've asked a hundred times, hoping for a new answer.

"Here, come sit down with me." she pats the free spot next to her, to which I eagerly jump onto the couch with her, shes never told me this before, despite me asking.

"Are you gonna tell me this time?" I ask eagerly.

"Hm... sure, I think you're getting old enough." She says, laid back into her side of the couch. She takes a deep breath, clearing her throat with exaggeration, getting a laugh out of me.

"A long time ago, when I was your age, I was going through a really tough time in my life. My parents didn't treat me very well, I didn't have any friends, and people bullied me for being different. I ran away from home, and I met a nice old family of monsters." She pauses to draw breath. "Them and their son really helped me through that rough patch. This was when Monster's had just introduced themselves to the world, and everything was in chaos. They had to live in sectioned off portables, treated like animals. Treated like I was..." She says in a low tone with closed eyes. I continue to listen, entranced. She looks at me and takes a deep breath, before starting again.

"They treated me like a _person_ , despite being one of same Humans treating them like trash. They adopted me after not too long, not that my real parents even cared, they acted like they didn't even know who I was." She says, reminiscing.

"That's awful! How could your parents treat you like that?" I say, disgusted.

"If I've learned _one_ thing in life, its that hate is cyclical-, you know what that means right?" She makes sure. "Cyclical is like a circle, it goes around and around." I confirm to her, and she smiles. "Hate is cyclical. If one group hates another group, often time the hated will become the hater, and the cycle begins anew, nothing changes, things stay bad. Its hard, and it takes a lot of faith, but it one of those groups can break that cycle by responding to hate with kindness, and love, maybe, just maybe..."

"Things can change...?" I finish for her, thinking about how true her words are. "Whats this gotta do with your real parents though?" I ask, confused by the tangent, but I think I know where shes going with this.

"The people who birthed me? They weren't my real parents. The Monsters were, all of them. The Monsters have had received almost nothing but hate from Humans, that's why they went into hiding in the first place, because there was nothing but hate. But they couldn't stay in hiding forever, they had to just hope... that the cycle could be broken this time. Its not gonna be easy, not even close to easy, it may take until I day I die, but I will break that cycle, or at least help." She sounds determined to make this work.

She smiles, looking back with nostalgia. "They gave me the best times of my life, nothing but love and friendship. I wanted to do everything I could to repay them, so I took this job, being one of the very few Human ambassadors looking for peace and equal rights. Its so much more important to have Humans representing monsters, because its easier for opposing parties to take the ambassadors seriously then it is with any monster in my position. I started when I was fourteen, and haven't taken a day off yet." Wow, that's over twenty years... "You're like a super hero!" I say, my idol can only smile a toothy grin at me.

"It feels like I have the responsibilities of one sometimes. Its been so hard, It took over five years for Monsters to even get workers rights, and another five for them to even buy property. I've been working for monster rights for over twenty years now, and things have been getting better, but its been so slow." She says with exhaustion present, but only for a moment, before she puts her smile on again.

"I hope that one day, by the time you have kids, they will be able to be in schools that have both Humans, and Monsters. That they won't bully each other, that they'll get along... If you want to have kids that is, no pressure!" She ends with a laugh. "You don't have kids, right?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Nope. Probably never will. I've been so busy, I wouldn't even have the time. I'd probably adopt a kid who was like me rather then having kids of my own anyways. Why'd you ask?" She ends by nudging my leg with her foot, wearing a snide smile.

I get a little flustered. "I d-dunno, I've just never seen you with anyone else like a boyfriend or girlfriend..." I say, embarrassed.

"Yep! Cuz no ones good enough for me! You do remind me a lot of the one guy I ever really had the hots for though..." She laughs it off as I blush. "Anyways, why do YOU want to be an ambassador?" She changes the subject back to being serious again.

I clear my mind for a moment before responding. "I see it all the time, Monsters getting treated bad just because of how they were born, not in person or anything, but from what you've said, and what I see on TV, and the internet. I... see the crazy people who want to kill Monsters just because they were born that way. Terms like 'Gremlins', 'Freaks', 'Demons', and... 'Dusters'..." I see her wince at the last one, its quite a loaded word against monsters and their supporters. "You really shouldn't know words like that when you're so young..." She sounds sad, but I gesture my hand up, telling her to pause, which she seems to respect.

"I saw a video on the internet a year ago, before it got deleted. It was a Monster, who got beat to death on camera, his aggressors were howling with laughter as they beat the poor kid into dust... He couldn't have been older then me. The worst part was the comments, people cheered, calling the murderers heroes." She knows about the video I'm talking about, as her hands curl up into a fist. I know it was a huge deal in the monster community, and that they fought tooth and nail for justice. In the end, it ended up being a big victory for Monster rights, the gang who killed the boy ended up getting prison time for heinous hate crimes, after months of trials.

She opens her mouth to say something, probably reprimanding me for watching such a thing. But I interject, my tone elevating. I start to get angry, emotion showing.

"First I was sad, I cried for the poor boy, who begged for his life on camera. Then I got mad. Mad that Monsters, no, that PEOPLE can be treated this way. I want to help make a difference. I know it'll be hard. I know it'll be a lot of hard work, and I KNOW how dangerous it would be. But its for people who need it, people who get murdered for fun, people who are scared to live their lives! This is a world for Humans, and Monsters are hanging on the edge. I want to be the one of the ones to help them up." I calm down. I've rehearsed something like this in the mirror a few times, but... I kinda did it live this time, I hope it wasn't too cheesy...

She scoots up to be next to me, and gives me a big hug. "I hate that someone your age has to be this passionate about something that only adults should have to worry about. Kids like you should only have to worry about getting their homework done, not about violence and hate..." She whispers in my ear.

"That's just the world we live in..." I say, disappointed.

She releases her hug, and puts her hands on my shoulders. I look at her, a beaming smile and tears.

"When do you want to start learning, Gabriel?" She asks, wiping her eyes. Is she for real?!

"Now!" I say, confident. I'm going to do this, I'm going to help her pass equal rights! Its gonna be hard, but this is bigger then me!

"Very well. I'll tell your parents when they come back, I'm sure they'll be as proud as I am." she says while getting up.

My idol, my _hero_ is proud of me!

I suppress tears, but my voice still cracks. "Thank you so much, Frisk."

* * *

Out of the freezer, and into the... fridge?

I'm in some sort of caverns now, and its... beautiful...

The dank walls are lit by blue stones on the ceiling, illuminating the corridors in a dark blue twilight. The occasional pools of water are also illuminated by what I can only guess is the same blue stones on their floors. Glowing blue flowers litter the caves, still plentiful despite the lack of heat or sunlight. Its a very nice change of pace compared to the dark broken ruins, and frigid wastelands.

Its still real cold, but not freezing anymore. I hope this means its only gonna get warmer as I go on.

Something speaks.

I shoot around, fire ready for an attack, but there's nothing.

At first, I think my mind is playing tricks on me again, but whispers litter the cave. Upon proper inspection, the flowers are talking. Repeating words ad-nauseam. Concerning, considering they aren't the first talking flowers I've seen.

"The barrier is gone! We're free!" One whispers.

"Barrier?" I whisper to myself, and to my surprise the flower starts mimicking me.

"Barrier?" it echoes.

Are these repeating whats said? Like a plant style parakeet? I check another nearby flower, its murmuring becomes more clear as I get closer.

"Why do we have to leave our homes behind? Where will we go?" A sad voice whispers.

Another.

"Will we be safe?"

"I'm scared."

"Can we trust the king?"

"I thought Humans were not to be trusted? And now we're trusting them again?"

"What if its a trap?"

"Are we being lead to our slaughter?"

"After everything she did for us, we can trust Frisk!"

My eyes widen. "What?!" I shout in utter confusion.

Frisk?!

How was she down here? What the hell happened down here?! When did this happen?

All the flowers now share in my confusion, and after a few moments of it for myself, I manage to pick my jaw up off the ground, and keep moving.

The flowers continue for so long... Nothing but words of unease, and people scared. I think about the bold faced lie that monsters were just 'hiding' in the Ebott mountain range for millennia. Why...? Why did they hold to that lie? What is there to hide about down here?

Its confusing... but very alluring. I want to know more.

The caves are endlessly beautiful, despite being mostly the same imagery over and over. Its still cold, but no where even close to as much as near Snowdin. Ugh, I need to take a break and dry off my feet, they are still wet and freezing...

As I cross a running waterfall of sorts, and watching for falling rocks, I can't help but let questions swirl in my mind. Most of them related to Frisk, the others about the... just everything about down here.

Frisk... I never got to know you well, but I would never have guessed even your life was a lie.

She was dads mentor, and all around legend in the community, being the longest standing ambassador for years, decades even. Apparently just a sob story of her having a rough childhood, ran away from home, and became buddy-buddy with the monsters- whatever, that's completely fake. Who knows how much of her life is bullshit, at least according to finding some monsters in the forest, shes probably the one who found the monsters in general, probably fell down some stupid hole like the one I did and... did something, maybe showed them the way out?

I know for sure she _did_ accomplish more for the Monsters then anyone else, traveling all around the world trying to get people to give the Monsters a chance, despite everything. I saw her every few months, it was rare she wasn't out of the country, or even busy doing other things. She came over more often then I actually saw her, but I preferred playing in my room over seeing her. I still regret that, the last time I saw her, she made a point of saying that she wanted to get to know me better, and that we could be great friends... that never ended up panning out, but I wish it did...

Enough sappy thinking, I need to keep going.

I walk into a room with... strange bridges made of flowers, or water lilies? There's no other way forward, so I decide to take a cautionary step on the flowers to make sure they can hold me up. Surprisingly, they can, and I'm across the large set of four flowers in quick succession.

The stone walls make way to a large room, more small rivers run around it. In both my cardinal directions are bodies of water that can only be crossed by use of more of those strange flower bridges, the one on the right is up against a wall, I think I'll check that one first. As I get closer, I hear something really strange... Its someone calling for help!

I rush around the corner, readying magic, preparing to have to fight off one of those white things, but...

Its one of the white things alright, its like a snake, but with person head, all a milky white color. Its midsection is being bitten by a bear trap. Its the one calling for help, its voice apparent now, it sounds distant and close at the same time. I slowly approach, flames at the ready, its obstructed by a weird bench. As I get closer to it, its head pans to face me, its blank eyes crying black tears.

"pLEASE hELP!" It calls to me in pain.

I wasn't just imagining it on the bridge, Its face is a mockery of mine, emotionless, even as it cries. It speaks again, without even moving its lips, as I approach in disgust.

"hELP... hELP..." It continues to cry, as it stares at me.

Do I even dare think of helping this, _thing?_ The last time I got close to one of these things, my arm got really messed up... The burn is still fresh, it still stings! It continues to writhe, attempting to slither out of the teeth of the trap, and while punctures from it are visible, there is no blood, confirming this is a monster.

It continues to writhe in pain."pLEASE..." It utters, pained. I look at it in disgust, and fear. I look behind me quickly, as to make sure there's no others coming to help this thing.

"oNLY yOU cAN hELP mE." The voice mutters as I inch closer.

What kind of freak monsters are these? I've never seen one that looks so... alien. It talks like its through a bad phone, and looks like a sculpture until it moves. Thoughts circulate in my head, irrational ones, saying to let this thing free, maybe the last one wasn't trying to hurt me? But I can't risk that!

I ready my knife, and prepare to plunge it into the beasts head, but it says "i wON'T hURT yOU. pLEASE hELP mE..." It gets me to flinch, as I think for another moment, its ivory eyes pierce through me. If its supposed to look sympathetic, its doing a bad job.

"I'll help you alright." I whisper to it.

I plunge the knife through its forehead, cutting through its skull like butter. I quickly withdraw it, as its head flops to the cave floor.

"hOW... dISAPPOINTING..." It mutters as it curls up around the trap, dying. Its body melts away into a white goop, making me jump back to avoid getting any of it on me. The white contrasts with the dark blues of the cave, and reflects the lighting off of it, almost as if it were luminescent.

"That's for messing up my arm." I sneer at its remains, as I clean the goop off my knife with my pant leg, and start to double back to the larger room. I don't think that was the same one from the bridge, but maybe it was, I can hope at least. I really don't want to run into any more of these things, but I probably will. Whatever, I'll get to see if they can burn to death.

What the hell was a bear trap doing here? And how did a snake... thing slither into it? I can't take a closer look at the thing, its covered in the goop, and I'm not touching that, I don't know if it will burn me or not.

An echo flower a few feet away from the remains speaks. "hOW... dISAPPOINTING..." It tries to replicate the speech pattern of the beast, but isn't able too. That's... really weird...

"Shut up." I say loudly to the flower, getting it to mimic me instead, before I double back to the flower bridge, and back into the large room.

Those things... are they some sort of defectors? Weird Monsters that tried to stay behind? Was Flowey one of those monsters? So many questions... so few answers...

A sound gets me to shoot my head back, once again preparing an attack, expecting another of those beasts, trying to help its friend.

I look around, prepared to defend myself, but... its nothing.

My breathing is already heavy, my heart racing, but its nothing, I'm safe.

I start to move forward again, trying to calm down. Its so hard not to be paranoid down here, every sound could be a beast around the corner, or just a water drop. I need to get my mind off of this... think of other things...

I try to recall my name, and fail. I remember my last name, as its pretty stupid and would be hard to forget for even the dumbest idiot, but my first and middle name completely elude me... I remember not liking my name, maybe that's why... but how can I forget my own name? When was the last time I was called it? It makes me feel like I don't even know myself, like my own memories of my past life are fake. Are there other important things I'm forgetting? The only thing I can recall being called is "freak," "murderer," "devil," or some other names that Gregory and his chums liked to use. At least I'm pretty for a freak, haha...

I approach one of the small bodies of water, getting on my knees, and take my hands, cupping a bit of the cool water, and taking a drink, hoping it cools me off, I'm way too nervous right now. Just calm down, think of something silly, or funny. Like... pickles, those are funny, right?

Sour pickles. I've had like five jar since I learned how to conjure them last night.

I'm starting to hate them.

Its the only thing I can make right though, I tried to make a banana earlier, but it was brown mush on the inside, and it got worse with each attempt. I'm sure if I kept at it, I could make it work, but it takes to much focus and time, and I don't have that right now. Not when its too easy to just think the word "pickle" and it just appears in my hand.

So I guess its pickles for now.

*crunch*

I wonder who was the first idiot that pickled a cucumber. The term pickling didn't exist yet though, so what was it called? Maybe he was a time traveler who brought pickles to the past. Does this caused a pickled paradox? A pickle-adox? Peter piper picked a patch of paradoxical pickles.

Pickles...

What a strange word.

Pickle pickle pickle pickle.

I hate pickles...

*crunch*

...The sound of rushing water is a constant here. The waterfalls are plentiful, you can't go a minute without seeing one here. This is so much nicer then winter wonderland, I can actually see why people could want to live here. I'd love to come here without having to worry about the weather, stupid flowers, or crazy freaks killing me. This seems like it could be a cool hike if prepared, and safe. Who knows, maybe it will get nicer, and the next area will be like a beach resort. I'd like some heat, please, maybe a nice beach, some relaxation, beach babes, a perfect vacation, but somehow I doubt I'll get that.

Ow... speaking of heat, the burns on my arm still stings like a bitch, the pain phases in and out, and doesn't disable me, but makes it hard to focus, the pain enveloping my senses. I flex my arm, and exercise my hands, in protest to the pain, trying to stay on top of it, and eventually, the pain disappears, only to resurface soon after, and the cycle begins anew. Its a reminder of the danger I'm always in. It starts to make me paranoid again, I hate this. I just want to sleep in a bed for a week, back home, safe, and loved...

The sound of footsteps on stone and dirt changes to one of wood and planks, as I step on a platform in the middle of a long pond. Something catches my sight, changing my thoughts from that of paranoia to one of curiosity. Against the wall, there are multiple panels, or tablets, lit by blue writing. As I get closer, I can start to read the words, the writing is faded and missing in some parts, but I can make almost all of it out. I guess they stopped using parchment, that's a good thing for me...

"The War of Humans and Monsters" I read out loud.

I don't spend much time pondering, as the words continue on another tablet to the left.

"Why did the Humans attack? Indeed, it seemed that they had nothing to fear. Humans are unbelievably strong. It would take the SOUL of nearly every Monster... just to equal the power of a single Human SOUL."

Monsters are so much more physically weak then Humans, when compared atleast, but I didn't know it went this deep... if this is true... this explains so much. I have to read more.

"But Humans have one weakness. Ironically, it is the strength of their SOUL. Its power allows it to persist outside the Human body, even after death. If a Monster defeats a Human, they can take its SOUL. A Monster with a Human SOUL... A horrible beast with unfathomable power."

The next tablet has an illustration, of what I can only assume represents a Monster with a Human soul. It is deeply unsettling, for more then just what it depicts. I... I can't look at this any longer.

There's no more, just another set of mysteries for me to wrack my mind about. Its frustrating, more loose ends with no resolution... I can only hope there's more ahead.

I'm at the end of the dock, this seems to be a dead end, of the platform at least. I can see another one at the end of the room, but its between me, and a bunch of water. I stick my hand into the... surprisingly not cold water, to get a gauge on its depth. Ugh, its deeper then my arms can reach. I look back to see if there's another path, but there isn't. Guess I have to take a little swim.

I take a seat on the wood, and work my hands to take my shoes off, and after some effort I manage to get the beaten and battered shoes off, to get sight of feet that are much the same. I manage to hold back vomit at the sight, and worse, the smell, of those disgusting parts of me. Bruised, battered, purple, bleeding and leaking all sorts of nasty stuff, I try to ignore it, and stick in a leg after hiking up my robes, trying to reach and hit the bottom, but its still not good enough.

Off with the pants, and in with the midsection, holding up the rest of myself by my palms on the platform. The water tickles, and feels good.

I hit ground at about my waist, so I should be able to talk to the other side. Meh, I needed a bath anyways.

After taking the rest of my stuff off, I just... leave it on the platform for a little while, instead of the original plan to truck it to the other side.

Back in the sanitarium, even though I was "bathed" every week, it was never thorough, never for long, and with either scalding hot, or freezing cold water. This is different though, the water isn't that warm, the floor is sandy, and I swear I can feel fish brushing past me every now and then.

Its so calming...

I end up taking my time, bathing at first, which takes some time. I had so much caked on blood staining my otherwise pale skin, its almost as if I made it through a butchery in a pig costume. My hair wasn't doing too hot either, the white strands being nearly frozen to my head. I don't have soap or shampoo, but its drastically better then before, I try to wash my feet too, but the lukewarm water gives me some feeling in them, and with feeling comes pain, the recoil makes me stop trying. I take a look at my arms, both abused, just one a bit more. My nails are whittled down far too short, so that I couldn't try to hurt myself with them, my hands have bruises and callous in assorted variety, both of my wrists still having nasty remnants from my botched suicide attempt in the sanitarium, which has since healed into pretty badass scars. My right arm has seen better days, the multiple punctures from Flowey's thorns thankfully didn't get infected, and are healing just okay, while the burn still stings, it'll probably also heal into another awesome scar, both of my arms are kinda blue around the elbows, probably the cut off from my fire heating my arms out in the cold weather.

After looking at my messed up arms, I light up my palms, my arms as matches. The light gives me a good reflection of my face in the water. Yup, also looks messed up, the only part jumping out at me being my crimson red eyes, the only thing that seems to have carried over from my old life with no consequence. I never liked them, I always wanted to wear some fancy contact lenses with the computer stuff in them, and change the color of my eyes to my mothers burgundy, I always liked that shade much more. I let the flames illuminating my face off into the water, they bounce along the surface of the water like balloons, before eventually popping into a silent firework of embers, which gets a small grin out of me, before I start to wash myself more.

Back in the old days, I really liked to swim. Heck, I was pretty good at physical activities, I just didn't enjoy playing sports, probably because it was just way too easy as a kid, I only really played with monsters, and I was just so much more stronger then them, and now I know why. When I started going to high school, it was all just Humans. I was still good against them, maybe a bit too good, but it just wasn't fun anymore. In grade school, my prowess got me respect and kinship, in high school, it got me nothing but ire. So I ended up getting into things with no competition to them, swimming being my favorite of them. I liked that people would leave me alone for once, having the pool to myself was great, it was relaxing and gave me the chance to exercise and better myself.

I remember me and Charlotte would spend a lot of time like that, just hanging out at our schools pool after hours. She would just watch me at first, until I finally goaded her into trying it out, her excuse being she was afraid of water. Part of that was just my dumb ass trying to see her in a swimsuit, but it was really fun to teach her, something she was really scared of trying turned into something she really ended up loving to do. We really connected over the teaching, and eventually the competition, doing laps against each other for the better times. She was better at it then I was the last few times we were able to do so, the girl was a lightning bolt in the water... I hope we can do it again one day. Heh, shes probably way hotter now too, especially in a swimsuit.

I take some laps back and forth in the water, just to test myself. The results are shitty, I'm way worse then I used to be, but this is the first time I've been in a actual pool of water since those days in school... I was supposed to meet with Charlotte after school the day everything went wrong, I hope she forgives me for missing that, and for leaving her alone all this time. I know she will, so its okay.

After a few laps, I'm already out of breath, and just start to relax a bit. Eventually, I just have my back against the rough, rocky wall, my hands aflame under the water, forming a personal heater to warm myself up. I don't feel stressed, or scared. Just relaxed. This probably isn't the smartest idea sticking around here, having a gym class when I'm in walking distance from the remains of the last beast. But I need this, a nice break... The sounds of running water so soothing. It almost makes me forget where I am.

But I need to keep that at the forefront of my mind, and this break needs to end, I've been here for at least half an hour, maybe longer, and if I spend any longer here, I'm going to shrivel up. I wade back over to my clothing, and lift it over my head as I slowly walk to the other side, making sure to keep them dry. The water may be warm, but the air isn't, I'm still not that far from a blizzard. Maybe its a hot spring type thing? I'm not that deep, so it shouldn't be that warm. I think, at least...

The air nips at me as I emerge from the water onto the next wooden platform. I take a few minutes doing a stupid cold dance, my arms en-fuego, trying to dry myself off before putting my clothes back on. Ugh, they feel gross on my damp skin, the crusty feeling of blood on my undershirt makes me cringe. I decide to just wear the robe instead of the shirt, and give the shirt a dip in the water, as I try to scrub out the blood, and other nasty stuff on it. I really hate this shirt, Gregory started making me wear it when he sneaked me out of the sanitarium all the time. His loss, now I'm scrubbing his blood out of it. I'm surprised the shirt even fits me. Maybe it doesn't, and I'm just malnourished. Probably that, I'm thinner then a snake, and just as hungry as one. Maybe magic pickles will solve it. Shoes came back on too, after a lot of effort, the bathing didn't do my feet much good, they are still swollen to all hell, add to that my hand me down grade sneakers that are probably too small anyways.

After I'm done washing the shirt, I hoist it over my robed shoulder to dry off, and continue my trek, my wet skin still shivering under the protection of the robe.

The blue tinted wood continues for a while, it twists and turns for whatever reason. Almost as if it was for a race of some sort, leading to a field of tall grass. Getting through it is easy enough, no need for cutting any of it. That's strange, there's a telescope sitting near the wall here, I saw a few earlier, for the purpose of looking at the admittedly serene glowing stones on the roof of the caves, so I waste no time looking through it. Huh? Its just pink? I take a look at the end of the scope, thinking it may smudged by something, but its not. I take a look through my other eye, and still nothing. Must be broken.

There's a room next to it, but its completely empty, save for a tablet on the wall, which I eagerly rush to, only to be disappointed. "Nice cream?!" I exclaim in surprise. They wrote over rich history for an advertisement? This makes me unreasonably bitter, a scowl on my face. Nice cream isn't even _that_ good, its stupid, it tastes like dairy slush, the compliments are all just awful puns, and its so smug about itself. Yeah, I believe that bunny man-, _I hate that guy_ , would write over this just to give himself some free publicity. Great, now I'm mad, and I'm hungry for ice cream.

I walk out of the room, grumbling and irate. There's another sectioned off path to the right, but I don't want to strip and dry off again, the water is illuminated by something, and looks incredible. Maybe its not even water. A cautious kneel to scoop a handful, I take a cursory sip of it. Its water, and it tastes great- wait, whats that on my face? I have pink circles around my eyes...? Son of a bitch! That telescope was a prank! After getting my fill of water, and washing the pink circles, I double back to the telescope, leaving it destroyed and on fire. I continue walking after the tangent, the taste of the water being replaced by a magical pickle.

This is so nice... The maze like path here glows blue, the lighting here coming from the glowing water, rather then the ceiling. There's all sorts of stalks and flowers growing from within the lake, creating an excellent atmosphere, the silence of the room only disturbed by my wet footsteps, and the occasional cricket from a bug. I'm glad no one knows about this place, seems like this would be turned into a tourist trap in an instant. Not to worry, the Monsters already keep all the tourists away, New Providence used to be a big place to visit some fifty years ago, until Frisk unknowingly dropped a property ruining nuke on the city, and kind of on the planet. The talking flowers here echo on, so many doubts, so much fear, constantly interspersed with Frisk's name being said, almost as a savior, a hero...

What purpose did this place serve? The branching paths don't lead to anything, as pretty as they are, it just seems like dead ends for the purpose of confusing people.

Oh! There's another wall tablet here! This one isn't vandalized.

"The power to take their SOULS. This is the power that the Humans feared."

Its common knowledge that the soul exists, even if it is a scientific anomaly that still has no explanation. People take it as proof of the afterlife in some form, or that it proves that their religion is valid, which every religion says. The power to take a soul, though? Those disappear, or shatter after death, how can you take one? Is that some sort of high level spell you can cast?

I need to know more.

The path continues into a dark room with non illuminated water, and then into another. I take a left, and there's a room with a piano...? A dusty touch of the piano keys reveal that it still works. I always wanted to learn the piano, but I was always awful with music, I even had a hard time with kazoos...

I try to remember a song, my dad taught it to me. Its what got me interested in playing at the first time, a simple tune, but it always made me feel... sad. I try to recall it, but I can't. Its been too long. Whats a piano even doing here? Never mind... After brushing some more dust off the Piano, and messing with some of the keys, I'm surprised to learn it still works. After I try to remember the old song, and botch it, I leave it be. Continuing from the dead end, down the other way.

Another tablet! Two of them! I rush to them, eager for more history.

"This power has no counter. Indeed, a Human cannot take a Monsters SOUL. When a Monster dies, its SOUL disappears. And an incredible power would be needed to take the SOUL of a living Monster."

Monsters have souls? If that's true, more teachings have been lying. Why? Why the lies? That only fueled hate towards the Monsters being soulless beings, saying they can't be treated as equals without souls.

The other tablet reads; "There is only one exception. The soul of a special species of monster called a 'Boss Monster. A Boss Monster's SOUL is strong enough to persist after death... if only for a few moments. A human could absorb this SOUL. But this has never happened. And now it never will."

Boss Monsters? The term is new to me. There's no illustration for one here, so I'm outta luck. Wait! I remember reading a blurb about them in that compatibility book at Grillby's, Boss Monsters were some sort of irregularity when it came to crossbreeding, saying that they were compatible with every monster species, but conception in such cases was extremely rare, and couldn't be tested further due to the near extinction of the Boss Monster species. That doesn't really help at all, but its a bit of context about them, how they seem to be weird. I wonder what they look like, probably really big with that name.

I can only hope there's more of these tablets spread around, the information is delectable.

Pitter-patter, I can hear rain up ahead. I would say that makes no sense, but what doesn't down here? The rain serves as a backdrop for a very interesting sight, tucked up against the wall its a statue... A hole in the ceiling is letting in a damp light, and some rain. The rain would be drenching the statue, but the statue is holding an old and rusty umbrella... A weak tune is playing from inside the statue, but its broken up, hardly working, like a old radio.

Its a kneeling form, one arm free, the one with the umbrella, and the other arm looks like... its carrying a child, or a really big burrito, one of the two.

There are no inscriptions on the statue, and it looks very old, older then most things here. Its covered in cracks, and all sorts of moss. The sight of it is... strange. So many questions, why is this here? Why were monsters down here? How did they get out, or why didn't they leave themselves? What did Frisk have to do with all this? God... if I ever get out of here, dad is going to be playing a really intensive game of twenty questions, there's no way he doesn't know of at least a little of this.

Are the cover ups a product of political interfering? Or are the Monsters keeping this a secret for a reason? Ugh, I feel like my head will explode if I don't get explanations for all this.

Coming out of the alcove I was in lets the rain start to fall on me, I never was a big fan of rain, or at least getting rained on...

Wow... Thankfully there's a bin full of umbrellas here, convenient. I take one of the rusty things, and after some effort, it manages to open, the sound of the old metal screeching. Ugh, I went through the effort to keep my stuff dry, and now its gonna get wet anyways. Puddles everywhere, my crappy shoes are gonna be glorified napkins by the end of this.

Drip drop. This is a very large cavern, the glow stones drip with condensation, revealing how large the Ebott caverns really are.

I don't like rain that much, but I love the sound of it. It was always soothing as a child, trying to get sleep, the drops off the window. Its been so long since I've heard it. More memories, some good, some bad, all reminding me of a life that seems so distant now.

My shoes make a weak sloshing noise, as I have no choice to walk through the multiple puddles. Eventually, I come around the clearing, it takes me another moment of walking, before I take a quick look at the royal vista next to me, my mouth agape.

A castle, and a city in the distance. Regal in appearance, the city is huge, reminding me of the abandoned town back near Flowey, at the farthest end of the town is a large castle, reminiscent of medieval times. The capital of the Monsters. It must be the "New Home" Flowey mentioned...

I can only stare in solitude, as a cold sweat forms. I know its where I have to go.

The eerie beauty of the city is off set by the giant, writing white mass conforming around the grey castle. Its serpentine grasp on the city forms over its tallest tower, into a face. Its my face, and it looks like its staring in my direction, its blank eyes pierce through me...

"What in the hell is going on down here?" I say to myself in disbelief, before I break into a jog forward, the rain and sweat coalescing on my brow.

What... what was that...? I don't even believe what I just saw, but I'm not doing a double take to make sure. I think I'm hallucinating again. There's no way that was real, I've never seen a Monster bigger then a car, let alone big enough to top off a castle! Are those boss monsters?

I reach a dead end, but only kind of, its a wall I can just barely scale on my own. After throwing my umbrella up, and wrestling with the wet ledge in an attempt to get a hand hold, I manage to scale the wall, I check behind me to make sure no one, or no _thing_ is following me.

Sure enough, there isn't. I collapse against a nearby wall, completely out of breath, and still in shock.

Why do they all mimic me? I'm getting sick of looking at myself without my consent... I think this is just a scare tactic these mimics must do to intimidate their prey. This is why this place must have been locked off, why Flowey said he was waiting for kids to fall down that hole to take them to safety, why no one knows about this place, and why the government has Ebott locked off. And now I'm in the middle of it all with no help. I can only hope Flowey keeps his word when I get to New Home, which doesn't seem all too likely. Whatever, I don't need a Flowers help anyways, I'll manage. I get up, and do a quick stretch, returning to the small ledge to pick up the umbrella, and then retreating back to the wall.

"Damn it." I grunt trying to close the damn thing. Might as well take it with me, who knows if I'll need a bludgeoning tool.

My shoes make a weak squishing noise as I get on my feet, and start moving again, even if for only a few moments, as I notice there are more tablets here. I take a quick look around me to make sure I'm clear, before diving in.

"The Humans, afraid of our power, declared war on us." Why am I not surprised. "They attacked suddenly, and without mercy. In the end, it could hardly be called a war. United, the Humans were too powerful, and us Monsters too weak. Not a single SOUL was taken, and countless Monsters were turned to dust." I clench my fists, how typical of them, even in ancient times, they were still the same...

As I continue on, its getting darker. There is no illumination here. The only path ahead is on more wooden platforms, and I'm not going back, I don't ever want to look at that giant thing again until I absolutely have to.

I use my flashlight to see ahead, as my flames don't have much horizontal distance, and it doesn't do much. Its just pitch black ahead. Great. Pitch black below too, a quick rock thrown into the void yields no sound. Even better.

The platforms feel solid enough as I prod around with my feet, despite no signs of supports. So I keep going, this isn't the weirdest thing I've seen down here. Oh wait, yeah it is, nothing I've seen yet breaks the laws of physics. Its a maze of platforms, it starts to get me anxious, with my earlier stark reminder of whats going on down here, the idea of dead ends getting me nervous. The only sounds are my own feet on the wood, and the distant sound of rain, as I have to walk slowly, as to make sure I don't step off the platforms. I'm using the golden rules of getting through mazes, take every left, and eventually you'll get to the exit.

I stop to get my bearings, my heart racing in fear, and to my terror, the sound of footsteps don't stop.

"Shit." I say, more concerned of being cornered. It knows I'm here, the sound of steps intensifies. I focus my light ahead and just do it live. I start running, the sound of the steps staying constant behind me, and around me. I can't look back, keep going! I think of setting the wood behind me on fire, but dismiss it, it could go real sour should I hit a dead end, or if I end up burning the entire thing down.

Eventually, I hit a dead end. "Shit... Shit...!" I turn back

A mimic, it has my face, upside down, in somewhat of a spider-like form, crunched bones pierce through its digits, in its white thrithing being. It twitches furiously, as swathes of drool leak from its mouth. Its real damn ugly alright. It slows down to try to corner me, I have no way around it, it'll pin me like the one from the bridge did. I light my open hand on fire, but it doesn't scare the beast, it only continues to inch its way to me. I have no interest in getting another burn like the last one did. I start to conjure a fireball, while my other hand still stubbornly grips the umbrella. I throw the fastball, directly towards the beasts head, and it sidesteps it with no effort, as it jumps me. It meets the sharp end of the umbrella straight through its mouth, as it writhes, and goes lifeless. I drag the being using the parasol stuck down its throat, and throw it off the edge before it starts to melt.

I rub my hands together, satisfied at a job well done. Without a hitch, not a scratch or burn on me. I start to walk forward, only to be met by the sight more of the damn things, getting me to stumble backwards onto my ass, as I quickly scramble to get back on my feet and prepare more fire, wishing I had brought a quiver of umbrellas. One I could deal with, more then that? Shit...

They start to close in on me, slowly but surely. I back up, slowly walking backwards, trying to think of a way out of this. Fire isn't gonna cut it, I can't get close enough to douse one without the others killing me. I keep backing up, but I'm running out of room, my breathing a hurricane, as I shift my focus between all the attackers. The beasts all stare at me, with their dead eyes, hungry to get a taste of me.

I'm out of room, and the beasts are opening their mouths. Another one, its behind the beasts. Its the same one from the bridge near Snowdin!

It beckons its tendril towards me, which quickly morphs into a hand. The mimics in front of it stop in their tracks. Its... a dead ringer, its like looking in a white tintend mirror, only it doesn't share my red eyes, only a white void in its place, standard of all of them so far. The mimics stop at the behest of my doppelganger, as it walks in front of them all, I look behind me, I'm out of room. It stops about two meters in front of me, and just looks at me.

It speaks after some tense silence. "sO wE mEET aGAIN, i kNEW yOU wOULD jOIN uS eVENTUALLY." It speaks gibberish, the voice echoes throughout the cave, and throughout my mind.

"What do you want with me?!" I ask through my gritted teeth, not expecting an answer as I try to think of a way out.

All them start to chant. "yOUR lIFE. yOUR bODY. yOUR sOUL." Exactly what I expected, maybe even worse, if these things get my soul...

"I just want to go! Get some other chump to eat!" I try to buy more time, but I don't think its gonna do me much good, my only option is a real bad one.

The one up front speaks up again. "yOU lOST yOUR cHANCE aT fREEDOM, iT wAS hANDED iT tO yOU, aND... yOU rEFUSED. yOU hAVE nO wHERE tO rUN, pLEASE gIVE uP." The voice speaks more gibberish. Its right though, I have no where to run, but I do have somewhere to fall.

I posture my body as if I'm going break into sprint towards the mimics. I'm not gonna let these imposters kill me, not here, I still have too much to do, too much to see. "If you think I'm gonna give up, you don't know me well." I sternly remark. "i kNOW tHE lANGUAGE yOU sPEAK." The voice begins to speak with some venom. It lifts its hands slowly, as I keep up my feigned sprint ready. The hand morphs into a tendril, and I make my move, putting strength under my far foot, as to shoot backwards, but its no good, the tendril shoots something through my side, a painful pierce. Instead of a graceful dive, its a stumble, as I plunge into darkness.

* * *

 _Somewhere else, some time else..._

"Let me say, its great to see you guys together again." I say, sitting next to a man that tried to kill me a long time ago. But I spend a lot of time with people who tried to kill me.

"I can't believe she came back to me after everything, honestly..." Asgore says, as we both sit outside Toriel's room against the wall, the sound of multiple doctors inside talking.

"You guys were made for each other, it was just a matter of time before she forgave you." I tell him, as he tangles his large fingers between each other, understandably nervous. Torey and Gorey power team have been back together for a few years now, and now that its worked out, they're having another kid.

"I knew she would too, I just... still haven't forgiven myself for the things I did. I thought she wouldn't want anything to do with me until I was able to do that." he says, looking towards the ceiling.

"I forgive you, dad, I hope you know that." I tell him firmly, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks, Frisk. That means a lot." We don't really talk about what happened in the underground that often, its obviously painful for him to think about those days, and I can understand why.

"So, lookin forward to the baby?" I ask him, deciding not to go further down that road, I don't want to put a damper on what a special day this must be.

"Yes. Its been so long since my last child... oh uh, I meant-" he gets flustered. "Oh, cram it you big softy, I know what you mean. A child of your own flesh, not a little brat like me." I interject, lightly punching his shoulder.

He gets a bit uppity. "You are not a brat Frisk!" He sighs. "Toriel didn't tell you much about our last children, did she not?" Oh no...

"Chara, and..." It pains me to speak his name. "Asriel... Right?" I ask, full well knowing everything there is to know about this. Asgore already knows about my gift, but neither he, or Toriel know how much I know about their two kids, between the revenant of Chara that I know was with me down there, or the husk of his son, they don't know how close they came to both of them again. One day, I'll tell them about Flowey, when I think they can handle it, and when they are happy with each other, and their new child. But not before the day I convince Flowey to come back up with me, which I really hope is soon...

"The best children a man could ever wish for... they didn't deserve the misfortune that fell on them." I clench my fist hidden from him, basking in knowledge I however, wouldn't tell Asgore in a thousand years. "You, my wife, and my soon to be born child... I've been granted so many second chances in my life, and I count my lucky stars for every one of them. And its thanks to you, you've done so much for us... I-" I interrupt his spiel. "I've heard this so many times Asgore, I get it, I'm the best, I know" I boast in jest, but its honestly getting annoying, its been a long time already, I don't need every Monster praising me to high heaven every time they see me. He laughs.

We talk about some other menial stuff, just about how my works been doing, slow, but I've been teaching a newbie recently, so it hasn't been a complete bore. Doing the same things over and over, trying to get it _just_ right.

"Frisk... if you don't mind me asking, why did you save us? After everything the Monsters tried to do to you?" I'm surprised he hasn't asked this before...

"Because I had the power to do so, I saw a group of nice people in a bad circumstance, and I wanted to help them. That was that." I say, trying to skirt around the question, but he continues. "A better question. For what reason did you go to Ebott?" He inquires, becoming a bit more silent over the voices of the doctors behind us.

I look at him with concern. "Asgore, what did we talk about 'questions with answers you don't want to answers to?'" I sternly ask him, we've been over this many times, and he's even asked this exact question before.

"Frisk, when I see my new child, behind that door, I want that to be a new chapter of my life- of _our_ families life, and I want that one to be nothing but happy. Put all of this sadness behind us, because if you don't tell me this now, I'll never ask about it again. I know its not a happy story, I just want to understand you as a father better." He tries to convince me. I sigh, thinking about it. "Are you sure? I don't want to ruin a special day with a sob story." I try to tell him, resting my hand under my chin, looking away from him. "No one should have to face their burdens alone, my daughter, please tell me." He looks at me with an earnest smile.

Here goes...

I take a deep breath, my eyes closed. "My life sucked. I was an accident to a trashy couple that did nothing but like to party. For whatever reason, they didn't abort me, I think they just wanted a cute kid without any of the work. They hardly ever fed me, beat me for fun, made me sleep on the concrete in the basement, only letting me out when they felt like it, meaning I'd often have to relieve myself in the corner of the room, which would earn me a beating." I take another deep breath, as I grip the side of my pants, Asgore notices, and takes my hand in his, which I grip as hard as my small hand can.

"School sucked, I loved learning, but it was basically the same as at home, being bullied for things out of my control. My parents would lie to my teachers, just saying I wasn't trying hard enough, saying I did bring a lunch and just ate it on the way, or that I stank like a dead animal because I refused to bathe, and no one believed my side of the story, because my parents were obviously very wealthy and charismatic, how could they be abusive? Home was hell, school was hell, I had no family that gave a damn, and no friends because I couldn't get any, as hard as I did try. And one day... I just had enough, I was outside my door, after a long and painful day at school, and I just... couldn't bring self to knock on the door, so I didn't. I ran away, and things only got worse. I... " I take another breather, and start again.

"I spent some time homeless, at first going to an orphanage, and that worked for a little while, but one day my parents showed up, acting like they were worried sick. I lost it, right there in front of everyone, and when they tried to take me back, kicking and screaming, I was able to slip through their grasp, and run again. But this time, I knew I had no way to escape my parents..." I say, reminiscing about something that feels, and may just be centuries ago.

"I came to Mount Ebott in hopes of killing myself, Asgore." I say, my voice cracking. "Instead, I met the best people in the entire world, dubbed Monsters by the people who should have that name instead. Toriel was the first person who ever treated that distrustful and stinky child like a person. I stayed with her for _years_ before I found out about my gift through an accident where I died. Eventually, I wanted to see what was beyond the ruins. I found a world of good people, in a bad circumstance; the underground was a reflection of myself." I finish, telling him almost everything. "I hope you know now, why I didn't want to talk about it before. Sorry..." I say to him, but he gives me a crushing hug, or what would be a crushing hug to another monster.

"I'm sorry for making relive those painful memories..." Asgore apologizes, tears in his eyes. "They weren't painful because of what happened, they... just reminded me of a time I was powerless." I say, finally returning the embrace.

Once I returned to the surface, heralded by the Monsters as the Human they chose to represent them, my parents were in a bunch of interviews around the world talking about how much of a awful child I was, and how the Monsters must have 'corrupted' my feeble mind. I tried going to their house a few years back, grown and not afraid of them any longer, now they were terrified of me instead, expecting some sort of violent comeuppance. I told them that I hated them for what they did to me, but thanked them, because If they never did that, I would never have met real parents and friends that gave a shit about me. I gave them the chance to patch things up, to actually try and be my parents for once. They refused, of course. But now that I'm starting to get some respect around the world, maybe not for my cause, but for my character, people are seeing my parents words as bullshit, meaning they don't get those interviews anymore, those interviews they quit their job for. Now they contact me all the time, asking for money. So I send them board game money, and some kind words.

"Every other child who fell into Mount Ebott must have had a similar story, for a child to be willing to throw themselves in a hole rather then live their life... What a cruel world." He says, looking down. "I know where that train of thought leads, don't beat yourself up about it." I try to interject, knowing he'll writhe in angst at almost any opportunity. "You know me very well..." He says after a chuckle. Of course, I know everyone well.

"One last question on the topic of regrets. Do you regret coming back to the surface? I didn't say it at the time, at fear of trampling over the hopes Monsters have had for centuries, but I almost thought it would be better if they stayed down in the underground." I ask him, now that we're on such a serious tone.

His response surprises me. "Not for a moment. Sure, there's been growing pains, but that's growing right? Learning that we have room for improvement." I can only respond with a smile. What an old goon, I can always count on him to surprise me...

The door besides us opens.

"Your wife, and healthy child is ready to see you Mr. Dreemurr." The kind monster Doctor tells us with a big smile.

"Alright Frisk, lets turn these frowns upside down! Let the new chapter begin!" He says as he gets up, lifting me up with him, before setting me down to head in. He gets too eager and knocks his head off the top of the door frame with a bonk noise. I snort as he lets out a grunt, the same door frame cracked and damaged from what must be the same mistake multiple times.

"Hello you two." Toriel says from her bed, cradling a burrito made of blankets and a baby, she looks peaceful, and happy. Asgore leans over to see his child, as I watch from the door frame, not keen on ruining their moment.

He lets out a joyed shout. "Its a girl! How wonderful!...Its a girl, right?" He ends with some uncertainty.

"Shh, quiet down, the child is sleeping you oaf!" Toriel whispers angrily at her husband. I hear him mutter an apology. "Come over Frisk, come say hi to your sibling." She whispers in my direction with a big stupid grin.

"Alright." I say, joyed again by the oaf, an appropriate name by Toriel.

I walk over, get on the other side of the bed, as I get a look at the newborn, Toriel tilting the baby towards me.

The face... reminds me of Asriel. The same look of innocence, though this time its fully true...

"Cute." I say, catching my tongue before I say something to ruin the moment.

Dad butts in with a eager whisper. "So, I was thinking about a name! How about-" Asgore starts before Toriel interrupts him.

"Not a chance! Your naming skills haven't gotten any better!" She tells him, only for Asgore to look down. "Frisk... Would you like to name the baby?" Toriel asks me out of nowhere. "Woah, uh... Are you sure? I don't wanna-" I stammer out, surprised.

"Me and Gorey DID talk about it, he said he would be honored, and so would I." She tells me in a soothed tone. "How about it Frisk? My wife isn't much better at naming then me." Asgore asks me, only for Toriel to glare daggers back at him.

"Uh..." I say, taking a closer look at sleeping baby. "Hold him." Mom passes me the bundle gently, as I take the surprisingly heavy child in my arms.

It warms my heart, I'm with family. A real family that cares. My parents are letting my name their child, their real child...

What should you be called little guy...?

I know.

"How about..."


	7. Chapter 6 - Pain

THE NINTH FALL - Chapter 6 "Pain."

 **(Reminder that THE NINTH FALL contains explicit adult subject matter, if you are not comfortable with what that potentially implies, this chapter may not be for you.)**

* * *

I'm not dead, but I feel like it.

The sound of rushing water, and my own exasperated breathing fill my ears, as I look into the blackness above, where I fell from. I fear a beast from above will fall down, and feast on my prone form, a dread I can't escape easily.

I'm in a patch of golden flowers, in the middle of a trash heap, water streams flow around the junk, the odd piece of garbage flowing with the water. The area smells of rust and moss, but I fear the scent of rust may be the smell of my own blood.

I try again to sit up, but the shooting pain through my midsection stops me with a shriek, forcing me back down, as I switch between hyper ventilating and pained grunts.

Something was shot through my hip. I don't think it hit anything vital, but its deep in, and it burns real bad, it feels like my entire midsection is being roasted on a skewer. I try to section my elbows to lift up my back to get a look at the wound, but I can't even find the strength to do that, my attempt foiled by the pain. I attempt to move my shaky and weak arm to feel around the wound, at first a wet feeling in the soft fabric of my purple robe, leads to touching the source of my injury, but my fingers recoil.

"AGH! SHIT!" I force obscenity through my grinding teeth, my feeling was right, the arrow or bolt still lodged in me is burning me from the inside, my finger tips touching it burned them!

I reach my hand to the side, resting it in the cool water, but it doesn't help the burning feeling.

Stab wounds, or arrow wounds. I remember my mom and I used to talk about how messed up some of those injuries can get, she always said wounds like that were made much worse by taking the blade out, filleting the entry wound, that people need to wait and get medical attention to do it. I have no option here though, I need this out or its going to continue to burn me from the inside. Damned if I do, more damned if I don't.

I take my left arm, and lift up the neck of my robe, and bite on down the fabric. I reluctantly lift my shaking right arm, at first trying to work the fabric of the robe around my hand to make a makeshift glove, but I can't move it around enough... My fingers feel like they are touching a active stove top, the burn is intense, even after just a brush of the arrow. My hand hovers around the bolt, the fear of more intense burns scaring me from doing the deed.

Come on...

Just think of it like ripping off a bandage, or going to the dentist...

Get it over with!

I quickly grip the bolt in my closed fist, immediately the pain is intense, a feeling like the flesh of my hand is getting seared off. I scream through my gritted teeth, muffled by the fabric I'm biting down on. I attempt to yank out the bolt, getting a bit out, I yank again, almost there! After a third yank, its out, I toss the bolt as far as my weak hand allows. More screaming, more pain, tears streaming down my eyes. My senses are _overwhelmed_ with hurt.

I try to fight it as best I can, I really don't want to pass out if I can avoid it, I'm still not safe. I wallow in misery for a bit, the pain still feels the same as before, but now in my hand as well, I don't even want to look at it, in fear of seeing muscle and bone instead of skin.

I have to get up, I have to get somewhere safe...

After what must have been a dozen attempts, I manage to sit up, out of breath from even the simple action, I instinctively grasp my side, and recoil in pain with a wince, as both the pain from my hand and side stings a great deal. After recovering, I take a look at my hand, expecting the worse. Horizontal white blinking stripes line my palm, my index and middle finger tips blinking the same way. Magic burns if I had to guess, still better then what I expected. My poor right arm has seen so much abuse, its really not good for my dominant arm to be in this shape. I need to check my hip...

There's some difficulty in even getting my robes off, and trying not to get them wet. Once I take my shirt off, I get a good look at my wound. The puncture is bleeding a bit, but its not as bad as I thought it would be, maybe the burning already cauterized it? This seems like a really bad way to kill someone, just a really good way to hurt them... Isn't that a war crime? Surrounding the puncture is a series of white lines in strange patterns, almost like what it looks like when lightning strikes ground, or completely dried out dirt. I should wash this to make sure it doesn't get infected... The water here most likely isn't clean, so I conjure some water in my left hand, and try to rub it into the wound, which hurts a great deal, but I'm starting to get used to it, meaning it doesn't make me scream every time.

I draw my pocket knife, still in place thankfully, in my left hand. While its not my dominant hand, I manage to cut up the shirt to make long enough strips to wrap around my midsection, making sure to put pressure on the wound. I don't like that I have to cut this up, seeing as its still pretty cold in here, but I don't think I have a choice. The sudden pressure on the wound makes me get a really pained coughing fit, and to my surprise, I cough up a bit of blood.

That is REALLY not good, potentially meaning internal bleeding, or some sort of magic to mess up my insides. And I have no way of stopping it...

"ARGH!" I cringe as I stand up, inflaming the pain a great deal. My whole body feels weak, the pain of the fall apparent, its a miracle I don't have any broken bones. I'm exhausted, I need to find somewhere to rest. After putting my robe on, I start to move, realizing the right side of my body isn't cooperating, forcing me into a limping walk.

I lost my flashlight again, and I don't think I'm getting it back this time, so I light my left arm up with a somewhat weak fire, to try to get a look around in the trash heap. There looks to be a path ahead, good.

Every time I take a step, it hurts. A test of my resolve with each foot forward. I'm not giving up.

A glance back at the small patch of flowers I landed on, whats this doing here? How did it grow in a heap like this? Did Flowey break my fall...? It had to have been that. Why is he looking out for me?

My shoes smush into mud under all the water, my cold and wet feet protesting my movement through the heap.

The trash is all old scrap and electronics, old, real old pc towers, broken tube televisions, car parts, and other junk. Where did this all come from? There must have been an illegal dumping spot near Ebott that must have flowed down here somehow. Musta been nice for the Monsters, this is probably how they even got any technology down here, as antiquated as it is.

Man, Zelda would have loved this kinda stuff... She was the daughter of some of Frisk's Monster friends, she was a huge nerd. Video games, Japanese cartoons, movies, technology, and science, she was a nut for all of it. Kinda awkward and shy, and a bit annoying, but she meant well. I was always jealous of her relationship with her parents, who were just as big a dorks as she was, they would play video games, or watch cartoons together for hours...

A sudden spike of pain makes me lose footing, as I fall to my knees, only staying above the water with my hands, giving me a good feeling of mud, and intense pain in my right hand, before I start to cough up blood, staining the water around me red. I have trouble breathing, the coughing goes on too long, it feels as if i'm going to suffocate in my own blood.

I'm dying again. Haha...

Limping again. Surrounded by trash, and the sounds of running water. The water runs off in places to what looks like a bottomless holes, the abyss that seems all too tempting...

My mind wanders off as I limp down the drenched path...

* * *

"Woah... check this out Charlotte!" I say excitedly to my best friend, as we walk home from school. We aren't in the city, just a nearby plaza, small mom and pop type shops. We haven't made it to Monster territory, that's on the farthest end of town.

She stops to look at what I pointed out. "Vintage electronics and antiques?" She asks with curiosity, the small hole in the wall place stuck between two stores infinitely more modern, only appropriate that the antique place plays the part. "You wanna check it out?" I ask, eager to spend some of the pocket money I 'found' recently.

"Shouldn't we get home? My mom said not to go into stores without her..." She says, nervous, her light purple face concerned. "Oh, don't be such a wuss." I say as I grab her closest arm and drag her towards the door.

The bell over the door rings, and we see the entrance to a maze of electronics, stuff generations older then both of us, the smell of dust and old plastic gives an atmosphere of nostalgia.

"Wow..." I say, fascinated by the vintage tech. The far rack leads to many tube TV's, older flat screens, and slightly less older flex TV's. Now its all about holographic projection TV's, but these old ones still work, which is nice, but the electric wire trouble shooting is a nightmare. The next isle is all weird knick-knacks and trinkets.

"Looka this!" I say, pointing towards an electric ball and lava lamp. Charlotte looks interested, her eyes watching the lava or electricity. "Touch it!" I say, pointing to the small electric ball. "Should I? What if I break it?" She sounds concerned. "Just do it, its the whole point of it." She slowly creeps her finger towards it, and when she touches it, the static surges to touch her finger through the glass. She gasps somewhat loudly, and I start laughing, then she does too. "That's so neat! I love it!" she squeals, and claps with her highest hands.

"You kids be careful back there! You break it, you buy it!" I hear an old lady from the back as I unplug the static ball.

"Alright ma'am!" Charlotte says back, her glee still evident. "What else do you want to look at?" She asks me. "I dunno, lets just look." We both start browsing, going through old appliances, outdated computer tech, and even old movies and shows. "Look, they have... whats this stuff called again?" I ask Charlotte, pointing to the cartoons. "Anime, I think?" She says, pondering with a finger on her chin. "Zelda and her moms would love this, huh? We should tell them the next time we see them." I ask her quietly, she nods with a smile. We haven't seen Zelda, and everyone else for like two months. Hopefully we can see them again soon.

We make some fun of the goofy covers of some of the movies, the actors looking like they are trying too hard to look cool, or being really edgy, getting a few good laughs in. We keep looking around after that, eventually getting to one aisle which is all vintage video games! A small collectors case has dozens of rare and collectable games, while the tech is beyond outdated, some of these games are classics, and collectable even today. I open a small zipper case haphazardly placed on the shelving, revealing an old dual screen system, and a few dozen games! There's no price tags, so it must be a new arrival. I pick it up "Hey Charlotte, look at thi-" I say, before realizing she isn't here anymore.

"Charlotte?" I say, before hearing some talking up near the front.

"I...I'm here w-with a friend, they're l-looking around..." I hear her stammering as I round the corner to the front counter, I sigh, as I already see whats coming. Why can't we just have one day with peace?

"I don't care who you're with, _you_ can stay outside." The gruff old woman at the register says, she looks much the same as all the old tech here, outdated and ugly.

I join next to her, putting my hand on her shoulder. "Is there a problem?" I ask, already used to this. Charlotte looks at me with a look of relief, shes not good in awkward situations...

"Yeah. No freaks in the store, you and your buddy can leave." She says in a snooty tone, crossing her arms after readjusting her glasses.

My fist curls, but I try to hold back my anger. "We're just coming home from school, we _like_ your store, can we just browse?" I say, frustration in my voice evident.

She puts on a sneer. "I don't care. Get out before I _make_ you leave." Oh, that's it.

"Oh go screw yourself, I was gonna buy this, and you're gonna turn me away, just because my friend is here with me?" I ask while waggling the zipper game case around by the strap.

She scoffs. "I don't want your damn dirty money you sympathizer. Get out of my store before I call the police." She says, lifting her phone as a threat.

My tone elevates. "And what? Tell em we were walking around your store _menacingly_? Get bent you old bitch." I start to shout at her. "W-w-we should go ***..." I can feel Charlotte pulling on my sleeve.

"Get the hell out you damn dusters!" She starts to scream. I sharpen my tongue for a retort, but I relent, as Charlotte tugs on my sleeve... I learned my lesson from last time...

Its Charlotte's time to pull me, this time on the way out, a bitter taste in my mouth as she does.

"I'm sorry for the trouble!" She shouts back as we leave. "NEVER COME BACK!" The door bell rings merrily as we close the door.

We just keep walking towards home, ignorant of what happened, until I pipe up, forcing words out. "I'm, uh, sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you in there..." I fess up, I hate apologizing...

"Its alright, it was cool to see all the old stuff..." She sounds disappointed.

"Did you want to get something?" I asked, wondering if she found anything she liked there.

"I don't know... I just don't like getting treated like animal, I don't want to be afraid of window shopping some dumb old store." she ends with a sigh.

I stop her by patting on her shoulder. "Huh?" She sounds confused as I reach into my backpack and give her something.

"Oh... You're the worst ***..." she sounds disappointed, but shes smiling, as she holds the static orb I snatched from the store. "You WERE gonna buy this if she didn't kick us out, right?" she asks while caressing the small ball.

"Yeah, of course." I lie. Shit was way too expensive.

"Thanks ***... Can you make me a promise though...?" She ends with a question, as she holds the ball with four of her six hands.

"Whats that?" I say, I hate making promises almost as much as I hate apologizing.

"Never steal again, okay? Even if its from someone who deserves it? That's the sort of stuff that makes Monsters look bad, why people like that old lady have opinions like that." she asks me. Ugh.

"...Okay." I say, as we continue walking. Can I really keep this promise? Probably not.

"Okay? Pinky promise me!" as she holds out a hand with her small pinky extended.

"You got me." I say as I shoot my hand out to promise her. "I got a two for one today, I'm good." I say with a grin as I pull out the zipper game case from under my sweatshirt. "Zelda'll love this, huh?" I ask her.

She starts softly laughing, as we make our way to my house.

I was a really bad friend, wasn't I?

* * *

Blood.

My condition has gotten so much worse. I'm crying bloody tears, as blood leaks from all of my extremities. Eyes, nose, mouth, ears, every hole in my body, every single one... I'm out of the water of the junk heap, but I'm still in a different type of hot water.

I take another break, falling to my knees, as my face leaks blood all over the stone ground. The needle, or the bolt, whatever it was must have been poisoned, this is way too much, I'm grounded up from the inside. Its getting harder to walk, the blood making my legs sticky unresponsive logs.

I feel no pain, but I know I'm dying.

Keep moving.

Its hard to see in front of me, a dark red staining my eyes, I keep trying to rub it away, but it starts to coagulate, making it much harder. My body feels like its falling apart into bloody pieces, limb from limb...

The dark blues of the caverns are stained their opposite as I limp through them all too slowly, making almost no progress, there's a sign here, but I'm not able to read it, I can only hope there is a building, or a town here. My prayers are answered, as I limp towards what looks like a pair of really strange houses, or some type of buildings. Whatever it is, I'm glad. I weakly open the door, make sure to close it tight, take another few steps, before face planting into unconsciousness.

Its all a daze, I feel like my brain isn't working right. There's no dreams, no nightmares, only darkness, and what I can assume is death.

* * *

But its not my time yet.

I wake up some time soon, stuck to the ground with my own blood, with a muffled scream, under the assumption that I'm buried alive. Which isn't that far from the truth, all things considered...

I can't see anything, the side of my nose planted into the ground, with a heavy pain when I try to move my features what-so-ever. Despite being weakly rested, my efforts to push myself off the ground are in vain, as I tire myself after mere moments. My body is stuck to my robe, and my robe is stuck to my ground in a bloody mess...

I can't do it... I can't get up. Every time I push, the world pulls back. Every push becomes weaker, the pull stays constant.

Eventually, tears join the coagulated blood.

Wallowing in misery, stuck to the ground, pain flaring, uncomfortable, and crying in the dark. I fear that any moment I'm going to hear the door open behind me, and be killed, I'm a sitting duck.

I... don't believe in God, or any of that garbage, in fact, I rather despise any organized religion, after what happened in '59. And, I don't know why, but... I offer a silent prayer, hopeful for any god, or goddess, malevolent entity, or- whatever, to hear my pleas for help.

Asking for help. That's all I want. I can't do this alone. Not anymore...

No god will answer my call. Flowey was right. This is my special hell, just for me. Tormented in the day, forced to survive increasing odds, tormented in the night, the night terrors bringing me back to my old hell.

I should have just killed that damn flower, and just stayed in that nice house, or just stayed in the restaurant and took my chances there... I just want a hug, someone to tell me things are gonna be okay...

Why am I even here? Why was I born? I was an accident-, a _mistake_. Even when I was born _months_ premature, I was stubborn, and survived, machines doing my bodies job, doctors saying I had zero chance to live to the next day, but I did it, day after day. I was supposed to die then, but I didn't. And what did I survive for...? _This?_

Hospitals... Sick all the time as a kid, all sorts of rare health conditions, so much icky medicine, and so many check-ups. I hated them so much, being prodded with needles and all sorts of other sharp stuff. Mom and dad would do their best to convince me it was all for the best, but I hated it, I hated feeling like an invalid. Mom was a doctor, I should have listened, I should have-

...

I remember now.

Mom left. She couldn't call me her child anymore, she left both me, and dad. I want to hate her for it, but I can't. She wanted to love me, I know she did... I can understand that. People already gave her a hard time, just because she was married to my dad, then the weird kid of that relationship went insane and killed a kid, then killed _again_.

Dad tried so hard, I know he went through a lot of turmoil. He tried to make sure I was taken care of, despite what I did, despite everything I destroyed in his life. But he cracked too, he left, for a little while.

But he came back, he didn't give up on me after that... He made sure I had a place in the sanitarium, instead of just being sentenced to death. It was okay there, for a while, but it got worse and worse when dad stopped visiting me. He always promised that he was gonna get me out, but it was going to take time... Did he give up again? Was I that distant...?

They both would have been happier without me. Even, though I know they may not have loved me... I know they loved each other greatly, and I drove a stake between them. God damn it... Every person that tried to love me, I pushed them away, or broke apart, and now I have nothing to show for it...

I promised I wouldn't give up. Would Quill have been mad with me if he knew I gave up here? Would he have blamed me, knowing everything I've already gone through? Would he have still loved me, even after what I became...?

Some more weak pushes leave me out of breath, as I try to free myself from my sticky prison again.

My freedom of death is gone again, I'm at the whim of fate now. I die, or I don't.

I start to cry again, for what feels like hours, before I fall into a weak sleep again. A sinister concoction of insecurity and trauma brewing.

From one hell, to another.

* * *

An uneasy awakening.

Its completely dark, as I lie down face first into the ground. To my surprise, I don't stick, and I feel no pain. Its comfortable, like a bed? Am I somewhere safe? I try to sit up, but I still have difficulty, my arms feel bonded...

Oh no.

"No, no, no..."

I roll onto my back and confirm my fears, shaking my bindings.

I'm back here.

Saint Lucille's.

Everything, everything under Ebott... was a dream... I'm back in this straight jacket, back in the cushioned room, back in the dark.

I'm not allowed to think, an old stranger in my mind returns.

 _You deserve this._

The voices... No...

Whispers flood my mind, uncertainty rampant. Already dazing me, making even a slow crawl a hard task. I rock back and forth against the cushioned wall, while soft, it offers no comfort.

 _Why are you here? Why do you spectate this hurt? Do you enjoy the suffering?_

I rock back in forth, remembering now the madness that I thought I left behind.

I'm filled with dread, and grief, wanting to go back to the nightmare of Ebott, at least there I was free. The faint outline of light from the door frame of my cell keeps me uneasy, unable to sleep, as the voices continue to ramble.

 _Ebott, you were never there._

"Shut up, shut up..." I murmur, a crowd of invisible stalkers whispering into my ears constantly.

 _You'll never leave, you're here forever._

My body constrained, my arms locked into place like a pharaohs tomb, my legs cuffed together, a mask over my mouth. No freedom, no peace of mind, no bodily autonomy. I'm a prisoner in every way. Any lingering thoughts I had in my dream, that _maybe_ this place was a better alternative, was dead wrong, I realize within just _minutes_ of being back.

I don't know how that was a dream. It felt so real...

 _You'll never wake up, this is where you belong._

Footsteps outside my cell, immediate uneasiness, I know who it is. Conditioning from hundreds of nights, I know _who_ it is. The locks on my door fiddle, and gear open.

A ugly yellow light fills my cell, as an ugly soul rears its head around the door, greeting me, as I shake my head back and forth, wishing for this to end, wanting to go back to my vivid dream.

He smiles with his perfect white teeth. "Rise and shine."

 _You can't even kill him right._

Gregory. His handsome appearance hides his sinister nature that I know all too well. He's here for me, and the one thing I'm good for. He approaches me, the voices flair, and while I want to be brave and fight back, my body trembles with fear, shaky and uneasy. He lifts me up by the cross of my arms in the jacket, and holds me against the wall, as I panic. "You seem awfully jumpy today." He whispers into my ear, as he unhooks my straight jacket, then lifting it off of me very roughly, dazing me, and then unlocks the bindings on my ankles, and the mask on my mouth. I'm petrified with fear, only able to look at him with wide eyes.

 _Shirt._

He walks towards the door after lightly caressing my head, then he tosses me a red and white striped shirt, appropriate of my appearance, its the same one he tosses me every few nights, when he sneaks me off. I remember my dream vividly, how this shirt was drenched in his blood, and how I had to fashion it into a bandage. But now its back to just being a disguise for me, a half assed attempt at hiding his crimes.

 _Criminal, like you._

I hold the shirt in my trembling hands, trying to muster and will to fight back. "I- I'm not going with y-you." I weakly say. He laughs. "You sure about that?" He asks me, as he slowly strides back to me. I look up at him weakly, only to meet a sharp slap, I squeal, as I sail towards the wall, making contact with the soft wall, I weakly hold myself up, the voices elevating to shouts in my mind. "You don't have the right to refuse _me_." He spits with venom, before taking me by the arm and shoving me to the ground.

 _Obey your superior._

I weakly start to fit the shirt on, having difficulty with even that single task. When I'm done, he drags me by the arm, out of my cell, and into the dingy hallways of the sanitarium, locking my cell behind him. I look at him as he drags me, well dressed, a very fancy watch, a beautiful wedding ring, well kept brown hair, chiseled form, muscle evident; the perfect person. He has life on a silver platter, and has no problem eating off it like an animal, because no one will question him.

I gain the courage to say something again. "I-if my d-d-dad ever finds out about th-this, he'll k-kill you." I say weakly as he drags me. "Your dad doesn't give a _shit_ about you. Why do you think he never visits?" He says with vitriol, unfazed by my threat. "I don't want to hear another peep out of you all night, freak. Quiet, or I'll make you quiet." He says after another moment.

 _Father doesn't care. He's better off._

He sneaks me through the the corridors, eventually going through a backdoor in the kitchen. The food here is... alright, but when Gregory brings me it, he doesn't give me much...

 _You're hungry, aren't you?_

He guides me through the dark parking lot, towards his nice car. Its probably real late at night right now. "In you go." He says to me, opening his trunk. I take too long to climb in, so he just shoves me in. The empty trunk reeks of the new car smell, empty and devoid, a place I have to spend enough time in every week. The car starts, the smooth hovering barely offers any sense of movement. After a few moments alone, I hear Gregory talking with the security guard at the front of the drive in faintly. "Sorry! Just wanted to check up on ***!" He says with fake enthusiasm. "God bless your soul!" The security guard responds warmly. Everyone thinks Gregory is my perfect angel, but he's anything but.

 _Your fun is about to begin. Your fun is about to begin. Your fun is about to begin._

This is my only peace of the night, the darkness of the trunk, the occasional rumble as he floats down the streets. I try to ignore the voices, and get what little rest I can, but its no good. I know whats about to happen, I was used to it at one point, but after the Ebott dream, it feels like its been forever since the last time... Wow... even at the end of that dream of Ebott, It had only been less then a week since the last time Gregory took me here, not nearly as long as it felt.

I got a taste of peace, a taste of something _different,_ and now its gone.

 _This is your life._

 _This will **be** the rest of your life, until you grow old and frail, and aren't good enough for a single thing._

 _You will never know freedom or love again._

I vainly hold my hands together, and try to summon a ball of flame like in my dream. Even if I could, I can't focus enough, my scatterbrain stopping me from doing anything with accuracy. The voices laugh at me, calling me an idiot for even trying, and I am. There's no such thing as magic...

What feels like hours alone with my degrading thoughts, sapping me of any hope. Eventually, the car comes to a stop. My heart races, I try to think of a way to escape, a way back to the land of my dreams, but I don't have the strength this time. I feel exhausted, both mentally and physically...

The trunk opens up, Gregory's confident smile looking down on me.

 _Its time to go, your fun is about to begin._

"Come on, don't make me have to pry you out of there." He says, his tone could be seen as sarcasm and jesting worthy to anyone who doesn't know that he's completely serious.

I try to climb out of the vehicle, but its too slow for him, as he pulls me from my shirt collar, making me land hands first on the rough cement, before he pulls me up by the collar again. I'm able to stand after a dazed moment, and he drags me by the arm again.

This is one of his friends' house. He wouldn't be caught dead at his own lavish home with me, for his wife and children to see. I've heard all of this in passing, in the months he's been my caretaker, as he talks with the other sanitarium workers, about his precious and cute children, how they love him oh so much. If only they knew me, cuz I'm his dirty little secret, and one he shares with his old friends at that.

This home isn't ugly by all accounts, but is obviously outdated, and out in the middle of no where, a county home, the perfect place, really. This is the only house I've been in for the last while though, so my assessments on its quality may be misplaced.

 _Its as close to a home as you're going to get._

Gregory guides me towards the front door, the weak porch lights illuminating our approach. The knot in my throat grows greater as we approach.

 _You better untie it._

He rings the doorbell, as I stare into the county wilds, the trees in the distance make way to the Ebott mountain range. Over my inner chatter, I try to estimate my odds if I break into a sprint right now, but even if I do, even _if_ I succeed, which is unlikely, I won't survive. If I fail to run, Gregory will punish me, maybe just kill me if he feels he can get away with it. Even if I did make there, _and_ could survive, theres no magical underground kingdom in that mountain, just ugly reality. That still doesn't stop me from wanting to run, to get away from this at all costs.

 _Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide._

The door is answered, and we're welcomed inside. Dull and uninspired, just like the houses owner. He smiles at me, I return what must be an uneasy glare. I remember the first night I was ever brought here, I thought I was being broken out. I had so many opportunities that night to run...

I'm guided downstairs by the adult and Gregory, the smell making me increasingly nervous. Dingy mattresses, the smell of drugs, and three adults drinking alcohol. My arrival with the two adults at the foot of the stairs ends a conversation at the dusty old table in the corner of the basement, the entire room has its eyes on me now.

There is a tense silence over the crushing weight of ten pupils on me, as I feel the hand on my shoulder start to lower down my back.

 _Smile._

* * *

A sleepless night, after returning to the sanitarium early in the morning, I spent restless hours trying to sleep, wishing to go back to my dream. Back to the confusing, mysterious, and scary world of the old Monsters.

 _No Monsters, only monsters. You're the only truth in a sea of imitators._

I feel dirty and unkempt, my skin crusty and sweaty, my straitjacket and pants feel like they haven't been washed in months, and my face lined with old tears and gunk. Gregory will wash me on a night he takes me with him, but I want nothing more then a hot shower right now...

 _You already got that._

"SHUT UP!" I shout in response, the voices increasingly aggravating me. The soft walls of my cell have no response, only serving to echo my madness. The voices continue to mock and insult me, a forced cognitive dissonance. There's nothing I can do to get my mind off of it. I can stand up with some effort, and pace around the room, but that's it. Every day is the same war, and I never win.

I'm going to find a way out of here, I'm not gonna let my mind tell me I can't. I just need to find an opportunity to do so, a window. If it relies on me running, fat chance, I can hardly even walk right. Some elaborate prison escape seems as likely as a steak dinner tonight. Waiting for dad to get me out seems... unlikely, I don't even remember if he's looking out for me or not anymore, my dream is bleeding into reality, I have to keep reminding myself it wasn't real...

So that leaves me with two options, dumb luck getting an opening for escape, or I have to kill Gregory, wait for a chance like in the dream, get my revenge, and... try to get away. And-

 _Dreams and violent fantasy, that's all you have now._

…

* * *

A posh office, brown wood varnished desks, hundreds of photos of patients, come and gone. A concerned older man, his grey beard speaks to his age and experience.

"The poor kid is getting worse and worse every day." Gregory speaks to my therapist. "I try so hard for them, they refuse to bathe, refuse to eat, refuse to use the washroom... And they have violent outbursts against me! Its not their fault, I know deep down they are a good kid." Mock sadness, crocodile tears.

I don't speak out, or else I'll be treated worse. I haven't eaten in two days, I have no choice.

"I'm sure if they could thank you, they would. May god bless your soul." The therapist finishes my routine check up, they shake hands, before I'm brought back to my dark room.

 _God bless his soul._

* * *

Gregory watches me.

Its some of the rare recreational time I get each week. Gregory has made sure I can't interact with the other people here, saying I present a reasonable danger to them, so I'm alone here too. I'm trying to draw a picture of... my old friend, their name started with a 'Q'... I hardly remember what he look like anymore, but his simple form is a boon. It takes a long time, my trembling hands barely able to handle the large blue crayon.

"Old friend of yours?" He asks, some genuine curiosity.

My response lags behind. "Friend..." I babble out, my speech as childish as the crude drawing.

He gently takes the drawing, as I look at him with weak eyes.

"He must be so disappointed in you." He whispers to me, before crumpling up the drawing, and throwing it out.

 _You'll never see him again._

* * *

In the dark.

The day is over, the night has begun, not that I would know.

Back in the six sided prison cell.

Only the faintest hint there's a world beyond this room, the light leaking through the fourth wall, the door.

Hallucinations of the people I killed sit in the room with me, before vanishing.

Unintelligible whispers keep me awake, taunting me.

The same day, over and over.

A feeling as if another person is in here with me, scratching at my body, but its just shared solitude.

Its nothing, but it gets to me, as it doesn't stop.

I scream myself into a weak sleep.

* * *

Weeks since the dream ended.

I'm losing any semblance of self.

 _I'm losing any semblance of the world._

Stranger things keep happening, making me question myself at every chance.

The voices grow louder, my thoughts shrink into whispers.

Mirrors of myself watch from the corner of my eyes.

Apparitions of my family and friends taunt me, before fading away.

My reactions dulled to the point of being a zombie.

Sleep doesn't exist, only hours on hours of darkness in the padded room.

Gregory's treatment of myself no longer fazes me.

I've lost my will to fight.

 _I've lost my will to live._

I can only conclude, with absolute certainty, one thing;

I've gone completely insane.

* * *

In the trunk again.

I wonder if I'm good tonight, maybe I'll get more food tomorrow.

 _Hungry._

The gentle rumble of the car soothes the inner cacophony of my mind, giving me time to think, or rest.

I have nothing to think about, so I just lay my head down, and try to ignore the voices.

 _Pretend all you want._

Ignorance is bliss.

…

…

…

The car stops, and I'm let out.

The night is young, the moon shining a dark red. The light refracts off the streets, and off the trees.

As is tradition, as we walk to the door, I look back the mountain range of Ebott.

This time, I see something strange, that startles me.

A small child, on the other side of the road, standing next to a tree. They look at me with a blank stare, as they hide just out of details sight.

I blink, and they are gone. Just another hallucination. It fills me with a creeping dread though.

I'm pulled by the hand for slowing down, as I stumble forward. After a ring of the bell, we're in the house. More hallucinations, I see my mom and dad in the dining room, staring at me with frowns. The frowns turn into sick smiles as we proceed down the stairs.

My world feels like its falling apart with each guided step down the flight of stairs, the walls melting, the lights flickering, and my vision contorting, before morphing back to what it should be. Back into the dimly lit basement. Drugs, alcohol, and degeneracy, staples of this home, I'm sure.

Everyone is here. All their faces look at me with snide smiles, as if about to eat ice cream for dinner.

 _Your fun is about to begin._

I'm pushed onto a dingy mattress in the corner of the room, one of them rips the clothing off of me, as I just let it happen. He starts to grope me once I'm stripped, all I can do is look away. The other adults are just watching, a husband and wife are busy tending to each other, while the other two just have their dicks in their hands, but all of them share the same sick glare right at me. I'm why they're here, they either have the hots for minors, or crazy people, maybe both.

After getting felt up, I'm turned around, and have my face shoved into the smelly mattress, they must never clean this thing, stained all sorts of shades of brown. I try to breath, the chatter of my mind laughing at me. The man pushes his way into me, his rough skin chaffs my sensitive, and unlubricated innards.

One hand holds my head into the mattress, while the other hand digs its long nails into my hip, as he pumps away. I try to ignore the pain from both the penetration and the nails, it'll get better over time, my body will adjust...

Soon enough, he's done with me. Next person in line comes up, and does much the same to me, forcing me into all matters of derogatory positions to get his rocks off.

I don't even move between sessions, trying to rest, trying to ignore. Because it gets worse. This is just the warm up for them.

Two at once, they start to use my mouth, a taste I can never get used to, hair getting caught in my teeth. I gag as he finishes, nearly having to puke up his substances, my throat lined with the stuff... They don't let me breathe, dry heaving and suffocating every few moments.

They aren't gentle with me. They used to be, the first few times, but now that they don't have to worry? I'm just a tender piece of meat to them, they don't care about me, or my body, only my holes. They bring me onto the cement, making a bloody mess of my knees, as they use me.

Fleeting images in the corners of my eyes, family and friends looking at me with disgust, before laughing at me.

The adults say weird things, dirty talk, as if they think I enjoy this, like I choose to be here. I've made it _very_ clear before, I don't, its just a lot less painful when I don't resist... I think its the power they like, they know I don't like it, this is all just a morbid fantasy for them.

I let a scream out, as one of them bites the nape of my neck. "Easy Hans!" I hear Gregory call, aggravated.

I hate this so much... I hate that it makes me... feel good sometimes... As sick and twisted as it is, and as much as I hate being treated like this... this is some of the only... pleasure... I get in my life anymore. It makes it easier to cope with this if I at least _try_ to enjoy it, some of it, when I can pretend I'm being loved instead of... this.

 _You really are sick._

…

This goes on for so long, I only get more exhausted as it continues, all manner of domination sapping me. I can feel bruises and welts already, and all sorts of spit and semen all over me. They use all sorts of strange devices on me, cheering to each other as I recoil from the sick experiments. One of them brings me up to the table, digging his nails into my stomach, and penetrates me against the table. The adults take turns slapping my ass, it stings more and more each time, my weak tears and snot mixing together onto the rough wood table.

 _Demented lab rat._

I have a small break, the adults drink, which makes me think its done, but it isn't, as another drags me back to the mattress. It keeps going, becoming more and more painful as my body can't take it anymore, everything is sore and battered. But that doesn't stop them, my silence turns into pained screams, which turns into pathetic sobbing. But that doesn't deter them, it only seems to turn them on more.

I try to fantasize about a better place, but I can't. The forms of my past keep laughing at me from all corners of the room, and... through the tears, I can see another, they aren't laughing, or looking at me with disgust, I see...

Concern...

 _It isn't real, no one cares about you._

They start to take steps forward.

Its a child, they have short hair, and wear a striped shirt.

With every step forward, the world around my becomes more silent, even the voices in my mind become more and more faint. The world and people around me still move, but doesn't acknowledge the child. I can think now, I can focus.

They speak with a soft voice, that penetrates my mind.

" _ **What a horrible fate."**_

A sideways view of the child as my vision keeps bobbing, they kneel down next to my dingy mattress, getting a good close look at me. They probably see a dirty piece of meat, about to wear out their use.

"Have you come to torment me too?" I whisper, my first coherent words in weeks, as I have coherent thought. Who is this child? Why are they here, why can't the adults see them, and how did they silence my madness?

" _ **I came because you called for help."**_

I stare at them, their form shimmers in the light, almost like a spirit.

"How can you help me? If you take away my voices, I can escape." I plead to them, the adults ignore my words and keep playing with me.

" _ **There is no escape here."**_

"What?" I ask, confused.

" _ **This is a place of your creation. An insidious nightmare powered by your hurt, reliving your sorrows."**_

This... this is all a nightmare?

" _ **You can fight this. This is YOUR sanctuary, banish these apparitions."**_

I try to pan my head up, the ugly man playing with me, his sick smile. I'm sticky, tired, and battered, and have hundreds of kilos of people in here who want me on my knees. I can't do this, even with a clear mind.

The child offers their hand to me.

" _ **You can do this. These are figments of your mind, they bend to your will."**_

I reach my hand out to them, after one of the men turn me on my back. The child has no issue taking my disgusting hand in theirs tightly, as I look at them.

" _ **You aren't alone, I'm here with you."**_

I look back up, trying to focus through the punishment. The man finishes, adding to the sticky mess of the bed. My legs a seminal donation center. Gregory approaches, for a turn of his own.

The child grips my hands tightly.

" _ **You CAN do this."**_

I curl my free fist, as Gregory kneels down to start on me, his sick smile. As he bends over, his face close to mine, I put all of the power in my body into one good hook to his stupid nose, completely blindsiding him off of the bed, holding his face in pain. I look back at the child, their face has a small smile. I let go of their hand, and start to get on my feet, my tired body barely allowing it.

"You freak!" Gregory yells as he holds his bleeding face on the ground, the other adults look at me in surprise. I slowly walk over him, looking down, his face morphing to one of surprise, and fear. I look at him in solemn silence, his naked form is the one of weakness this time.

Breath.

I summon fire in my hands, and light my tormentor into a blaze. He shrieks as he burns alive, trying to escape, clawing the ground. His perfect face melts away into a mess of skeletal features, and scorched muscle. The other adults scream, before contorting into the mimics of my dream-, no, of my _reality._

Their attacks make no contact with me, they burn as Gregory did. Their screams of pain music to my ear. The wooden supports of the basement become lit, the room quickly turning into a blaze.

I look down at my body, instead of the sticky and bruised mess, I wear a purple robe, emblazon with the delta rune, a symbol of hope, my blood of hardship covers me instead of the liquid domination of tormentors. I smile, and look back at the child, they seem to share my happiness. The sound of embers proceed our words.

"Who are you?" I ask the figure, knowing they aren't a figment of my dream.

" _ **Just a ghost of this old world."**_

"Thank you, whoever you are." I say genuinely. They put their hand on my shoulder, having to come close, being a good bit smaller then me.

The burning around us intensifies, engulfing both of us, it doesn't affect the child.

" _ **This fleeting dream will end any moment. You are in control, always remember that."**_

My vision fades into the flames.

" _ **Good luck, I believe in you."**_

The nightmare ends, for the last time.

* * *

Back in the underground. Back in a world with hope.

The building I took refuge in it burns violently, the flames white and red, a reflection of myself.

Not just a nightmare, that was more than that. It was a reminder of what I've survived, a reminder of whats behind me. I needed that, completely clear and vivid.

I stand in the breeze of the fire, my arms out wide, the heat from the fire feeling good on my cold skin, my robe being the only thing that survived the fire, the obvious solution to being stuck to the ground was to just get rid of the ground.

I spin in joy, laughing, enjoying my silent thoughts, my fire back and stronger then ever before. I still feel the pain of my injuries, I'm battered, I'm bloody, and I'm tired, but I can't help but be happy.

Because I, am in control.


	8. Chapter 7 - Nostalgia

THE NINTH FALL - Chapter 7 "Nostalgia."

* * *

 _Somewhere else, some time else..._

"Gabriel?" I ask to my coworker on my cell phone.

"Oh! Sorry, Quill!" I hear Gabe exasperated on the other end. "I was just telling Kass about something." I hear a bit of rustling on the other end "So do you guys want to join tonight?" He reiterates, the sound of cooking timers going off.

"I'd love to! Want us to come over early? I'm sure Charlotte would love to play with ***." I ask him as I look at my daughter playing with her dolls and cars on the carpet. "Sure! We'll see you soon!" he exclaims, as I smile, and turn off my phone. Its a big thing, the phone is, while I can form myself some dexterous arms, it is a work out, as I don't like to stress myself into a humanoid form all the time. I have to do that enough at work as is. So blobby arms it is for now.

I slither my way towards the center of our fairly spacey apartment, where our living room is. I manage to sneak up on Charlotte, and surprise her, picking her up from behind, and embracing her as she squeals, and I start to twirl her around as she giggles. She loves to play like this, and lucky for her, so do I! I'm a natural Monster jungle gym!

After a minute of being a roller coaster, I plop her down next to me on our large couch. She looks excited to see me, as I am with her. I just got back from a business trip with Gabe and Frisk all the way in Japan. What a beautiful place it was, I'd love to take Charlotte and my wife there one day. Even the people were surprisingly hospitable to us, just curious is all. Nothing like the xenophobia in the States or Russia, we all felt really uncomfortable there, picketers outside our hotel, threatened violence implied. We've declined visits to places we thought were actively dangerous to us, there's no way I'm even stepping a metaphorical foot in just about any middle eastern country. There are a lot of real fanatics there that would actively cheer for our deaths, golly...

I banish those negative thoughts from my mind, instead giving my daughter a hug. "We're going over to Gabe and Kass' for dinner tonight." I tell her, which puts a big smile on her face. "Yay!" she exclaims with glee. "Go put your good clothes on, we'll be leaving soon." I say to her as I get up, and she does too. I prepare to remind her to put her toys away, but she's already on it, filling me with some pride.

After she finishes, and rushes to her room, I start to slither my way our office. Its split between me and my wife, and shes still taking care of some work. Our apartment is quite large. My wife is a very successful business woman, already quite the entrepeneur from back in the old days when she was still a child, and nothings changed today. Starting with a successful local bakery in the monster part of the suburbs, working her way up to a spot in the busiest part of town, to being known as the best bakery in Germany, with rave reviews from all around the country. She employs monsters almost exclusively, and has been a large part in making a good name for them in New Providence. Once we pass equal rights, she plans to expand around the country, giving a foothold for Monsters to spread around Germany, and then eventually, the rest of the world. It won't be easy for her or for me, but we're a team. Other then that, she plays the stock market like a genius, and has already set up us, and multiple other less fortunate monster families for life. Monsters were a close knit community in the old days, and we don't see any reason to change that, we're all a big family of weirdo's at the end of the day, and we all share this burden.

I quietly open the door into our drab and professional office, to hear my wife arguing with someone on her phone.

"What do you mean 'we won't sell to you'!? You people were all hunky dory with me for weeks until you find out who I am, and then you have a problem with me? Who gives a damn which way my soul points, every dollar points the same way! Hello? _Did you hang up on me_?!" My wife finishes, looking at her phone, before throwing it across her desk in frustration, before grumbling with her many arms crossed. I manage to sneak up on her much like my daughter, and pick her up from under the arms, getting a squeal out of her too, as I embrace her with love. "Remember dear, Monsters don't have souls." I whisper to her in response to the slip of her tongue, a stupid

"Quill! Don't surprise me like that dearie!" she says softly between giggles as I tickle her through her work clothes. She turns around and gives me a hug too. "Work stuff being stressful?" I ask her quietly. "Yeah." she says. "Love you." I try to comfort her. "Love you too, my slimey half." she says back, giving me a nice smile. We talk for a few minutes about our respective works, before I remember to ask her "oh! Gabe invited us to dinner, a big one to celebrate Kyoto going well, Charlotte is coming with me, do you want to join too?" I ask her. She ponders it for a few moments. "I can't, I have too much paperwork to deal with, that deal going to to the trash bin really messed things up for me, and..." She takes a deep breath, before changing her mind. "Ahh... I need a break from work... lets go get ready." She says with a grin before we both head to our bedroom. What a pleasant surprise!

On the way through our lavishly furnished halls, I knock on Charlottes door. "Get ready sweetie! We're leaving really soon!" I say, before I hear her call back saying she'll be ready soon. I open the door to our room after that, Muffet following behind me. The rooms decorated more to her liking, purples and pinks everywhere, huge dressers filled with all sorts of hand made clothing, and a fancy and fluffy bed fit for a princess. Except she isn't a princess, shes my _queen_ , and if it makes her happy, it makes me happy. Liking the fancy bed is just a bonus of sorts, heehee.

I fit into a more casual suit, or at least the top half of one, while my wife dresses in something that reminds me of when we met as kids. It fills me with nostalgia, and happiness seeing her like that. We met when the underground was evacuating, she was going all the way back to the ruins to get her spider friends, as they couldn't get past the cold of Snowdin by themselves. Being native to Snowdin town, it was easy for me to help her.

I remember, she had to try and bundle up to get through herself. She tripped, and couldn't get up on her own, being weighed down by all her coats and sweaters, and I found her, helped her, then heard her plea. We hit it off afterwards, being great friends for years, she got a guinea pig for testing recipes and a warm pillow, and I got a devoted friend, and then a loving spouse in return! Everybody wins! I remember when we got married almost twenty years ago, Frisk, the person we owe our meeting to, at least indirectly, was who declared us husband and wife. She ended up doing that with a lot of couples, must have been bizarre for her when she did the same for her adoptive parents too.

Speaking of that, we may see the former King and Queen tonight too, maybe some other coworkers, maybe Ezikel? I hope dinner goes alright, I know Muffet isn't the biggest fan of Gabes place, mostly because of Kassandra. I know she really likes Gabe and ***. At least... I think she does.

"My sweetheart, what do you think of ***?" I ask her out of the blue as she does her hair in the mirror. "As a person...?" She asks, slowing her grooming. "Yes." I respond. She pauses herself fully. "Thats not like you, dear, why do you ask?" she asks, looking back at me with an air of confusion, and concern.

I sigh, looking away from her. "I'm very conflicted, or concerned rather, about that child. They are capable of being sweet, and kind, but they can be... So cruel, and aggressive at times..." I say, recalling many instances of violence at their schooling. "They're only like that with other Humans though, right?" She replies, having turned around in her chair towards me. I gesture her to quiet down a bit, trying to make sure Charlotte doesn't overhear any of this.

"When it comes to violence, yes, *** only seems to get into confrontations with those who instigate trouble with them, but they'll take it too far." I whisper to her, recalling the time they got suspended for breaking a kids nose for calling them a mean name, or the time they threw a smaller kid in a dumpster for insulting their Father. Its alright to be mad about these things, but its not alright to respond with that level of elevation.

"Gabriel and Kassandra love them very much, and while they are absent from their life fairly often, they do everything to make sure their child is well taken care of, and loved, so I don't think its an issue of neglect." I continue, thinking about ***, which is something I do a lot.

"It may just be the bullying? I know that poor sweet thing takes a lot of abuse in schooling, along with our daughter. But at the end of the day, *** stands up for our precious Charlotte when no one else can. So I don't care if she gives those nasty Human kids what for." She says irritably, as I think about how often Charlotte gets picked on. She's far too soft for this world...

"I... don't *** is a mean person by nature, so maybe its due to their health conditions, maybe we should inquire about them getting therapy?" I suggest as my wife is turning back around to put the finishing touches on her look, her short hair in nice bows. "You've asked about this before, dear. *** _v_ _ehemently_ hates anything to do with doctors or therapists." she says, as I frown. I remember when we had help to look for ***, we thought they had run away, but no, they were just hiding so they didn't have to go see their doctor. Hiding against the close side of a bathtub, clever really, if not frightening, we were all so scared.

I hear a knock on our door. "I'm ready!" my daughter exclaims, before running to the front door. My wife gets up, and we start to walk to the door together, but she stops me as I reach to open the door. I turn around, as she rubs my side with care. "Talk to ***. I know they think very highly of you, maybe even more then their own parents. Maybe if _you_ ask them to see a therapist, they'll listen." She says softly to me, with a smile.

"Every day I remember why I fell in love with you..." I say in a stupor. "Oh hush, you say that every week." she whispers, as she opens the door I tell her "I'll have a good talk with *** once I get back from the summit. I want to be able to support them fully, not be out of town, you know?" I whisper to her as we head out. "Sounds good. Now lets go, shall we?" Yes. Lets.

* * *

"Gabriel! Quill's here!" Kassandra calls to her husband, as me and my friend watch him stumble his way to the to the front door. Gabe's place is very modest, nothing really fancy about it. Just your average suburban home, a bit of monster influence, a bit of human influence, fitting of his stature. Neither him nor his wife are very extravagant.

I hear Quill and him talk after being let in, as Charlotte drags Muffet's hand, probably to go see *** upstairs. That girl is just a bundle of happiness and good spirits, puts a grin on my face every time I see her. Reminds me of Asgore and Toriel's kid back in the day, sunshine and rainbows.

"Thanks for coming." I whisper to the guest next to me. "I've been... Very eager to find this out, and also very scared." I continue to whisper to him.

"no problem frisk. i'm interested in finding out too. not every day i get to flex my space time knowledge." Sans says to me nonchalantly, laying on Gabes nice couch like he's crashing their for the night.

Sans has been a great friend to me my entire life since meeting me. I know he was looking out for me only because of Toriel all the way back then, but I would like to believe I would have won him over regardless, well, eventually I would have. After Monsters went free, he never became an ambassador with me, but he's always been willing to lend an ear, or uh, side of his head to me? Well, he came to me with a very... Strange question, a few months after we had returned to the surface.

He asked "are you a time traveler?" And while I responded with mock confusion, I knew that question was coming. I was afraid it would. He saw through my charade, and I caved. He only said "I don't care what you do with your powers, but if you are really a friend, the person you've built yourself up to be, you won't take this away from us."

Ever since I fell into Ebott, I realized very early into my adventure, I had access to a... very strange and alien power. I knew that Sans had some knowledge relating to what he called "timelines" and the space time continuum due to some, experimentation I, or Asriel, did with these powers. Once I gave up in my underground pursuits, I used my powers to... Help, the monsters get to the surface. Things went bad quite a few times, and I reset what felt like hundreds of times, trying to make things just perfect... Or even just go right, it took over two hundred loads just to get in touch with authority, tell them I had brought mythical creatures to the surface with me, have them take me, a fourteen year old kid, seriously, then over five hundred attempts for it to end without the military getting involved and killing the entire kingdom on sight. Nothings been as difficult as that one day, not yet atleast, but still...

Its so hard.

I feel as if I have an entire race of people on my shoulders every day.

Every day my resolve is tested by people who want to see monsters die in camps, or as work as cheap laborers. They grate me to no end, they treat me like an idiot, and while my words generally make their mark, its tiring.

And for the last decade, its been only more stressful.

Because I can't reset anymore.

The crushing weight of knowing, if I mess up, even just once, I'll never have another chance. Sure, I don't think I can permanently mess things up for the Monsters any more, bar a really colossal screw up, but I still have an air of unease I won't be able to shake.

But Sans came to me the other day with a strange observation, something that gives me hope.

He took a very in depth look at the time space continuum as per the last twenty years, and aligned the date of my last reset, and noticed a very rapid string of timeline anomalies dating the month of March, 2148. That was the month that Gabriel's child was born two months premature. That baby fought for months with all sorts of machines attached to it, a losing battle said every doctor. But they won that battle. Or maybe they lost it, many times, but had the will, the _determination_ to live...

Sans made a machine, it can sense if an individual is a time space anomaly, the results of decades of research on his, and Alphys' part. Of course, even though I can't reset any more, I still come in very strong on the machines readings. But, if little child *** comes in at all, we have a winner, and if they are the most determined individual, we'll have to act soon. We'll ask if they want to help us, help us make this world a better place for Monsters, hell, just a better place in general. *** has never shown even a shred of interest in being an ambassador, or any of the related politics, so even if they decline, its my _duty_ to tell them about their responsibility, and make sure they don't fall for the powers trappings.

If the power does not belong to them, there is only one other person we could think it belonging to...

When Sans came to me last week, I told him about Flowey, and how he was the last one to hold my power.

"that weed? wouldn't have guessed it." Is what he said.

It took some effort, but I told him about what really happened with the barrier, something he had asked about years and years prior, but I always said "I'll tell another day."

Sans had zero clue that Flowey was the estranged prince of Monsters, it really shook him when I told him about his background, and how Alphys reincarnated him unknowingly. I had never heard Sans with any degree of sadness, but even the full tragedy of Asriel Dreemurr managed to touch his soul...

He is the first one other than me to know the full story behind everything. While there may be a day I tell Asgore and Toriel, I'll never even dream of telling Alphys. That woman took a long time to come to peace with the things she did, but she would never forgive herself for making Flowey, if she truly knew everything about him.

I free myself from my daydreaming.

"We'll worry about *** later tonight. Lets just enjoy the dinner." I whisper to the lounging skeleton next to me. "who else is coming for grub?" he responds back. I open my mouth to respond, but there's a real loud knock on the door. I see Kassandra slowly approaching the door, hand on her head as she scoffs.

"WHATS UP NERDS?" Undyne shouts with vigor, barreling through the door. Shes carrying Alphys in her arms, bridal style, while Alphy is holding Zelda in her arms much the same way, Undyne's as strong as ever. While Alphys has a look of worry about hitting her head off the ceiling, Zelda is smiling ear to ear, giggling. Kassandra simply sighs, and walks away.

I wave over to Undyne, as she makes her way over, sitting on the empty side of the couch after she lets Alphys and Zelda go. "*** and Charlotte are upstairs, want to go see them?" Alphys asks her daughter, who just runs ahead. Alphys sighs, and runs to join. Cute, that old dress still looks great on her, and Undyne looks great too. "Hows it goin Frisky and lazy bones?" she asks with a toothy smile as she gives me a hard pat on the shoulder. "Pretty good here, the Japan summit went great, they loved us there!" I tell her, giving Sans a turn to speak. "not too bad, just here for the food." He says, getting a good laugh out of the fish woman. "Papyrus couldn't make it out?" "nope, i put him to bed before i got here." "That's a shame! Woulda loved to see the bonehead!"

"didn't you just see him yesterday?" Sans looks at her with his empty eye sockets.

"Yeah, I did, but I know Zelda woulda loved to see em." Undyne says, rubbing her hand on the back of her head. "Hows the little girl doing? She looks older every time I see her! You don't though!" I try to flatter her, but I'm lying. Her young incorruptible spirit is the same, but I can see her getting older all the time, same thing with Alphys. Their daughter is the spitting image of them both combined, looks just like a shorter yellow Undyne, but with glasses and a tail, what a dork she is, just like her parents... Speaking of girls, Charlotte is a little angel, I would never thought Muffet the motherly type, let alone the type to marry such a total sweetheart like Quill, but they are really functional parents to the most precious little girl I've ever seen, almost makes me want to be a parent. Ehh, maybe not.

***, on the other hand... is problematic. Very young, but they seem to have issues, countless problems with violence, verbal harassment, stealing, and just generall being mean. I have no clue whats causing it, but I can only assume that its either their health, or their upbringing having the opposite effect it had on Gabe. Its scary to even think about... I don't want another to suffer and make suffer like what me and Asriel did. They are only eleven, that's three years younger then when I met everyone... And *** may never have those type of friends, with how seemingly antisocial they can be... Its a shame they have to go to a Human school to get a higher education, Monsters have a preschool and early grade school education center, thank you Toriel, but they have no late grade school and high school education right now. So ever since they were ten, both *** and Charlotte have been going to a fancy Human school. I know they both hate it, but their parents are adamant about them getting an education.

Undyne drags me back from my extended daydreaming. "Zelda is doing great, top marks in school, lots of friends, she has it all! Why even ask, the answer is always the same from us!" Undyne boasts. "Just being kind is all, I love keeping up with all the kids in our merry band." I respond to her, as she keeps up her larger than life smile, her pearly whites almost blinding. I wonder if Zelda will be going to a Human school too, *** and Charlotte will still be there, so she wouldn't be alone...

"Hows work?" I ask her. "Boring and uninteresting." She sighs, with a frown. While Alphys had a very easy transition to the surface, science and robotics being in demand, there wasn't much demand for a human hunting royal guard. She made good use of her stupid strength for the first few years on the surface, being incredible at labor, perfect for the construction work of the Monster suburbia once we got some area for it. But now that we don't have any space to do that? She just did odd jobs for the Monsters, just needing something to do day to day, until Zelda was born. She was a stay at home parent for years, but now that Zelda is starting to becoming independent, shes back to doing odd jobs. I've offered her spots being an ambassador, but she declined, saying that being around Humans all day may make her want to punch one.

"You know, I love Alphy and Zelda more then the world, and wouldn't trade em for anything, but... I can't help but miss the old days... Back when it felt I had purpose, back when I felt like a hero..." She whispers to me, twangs of sadness audible. "You _are_ a hero to so many of us, don't say that Undyne." I try to comfort her, knowing where shes coming from... "yeah, so many people still look up to you, nothings really changed. even papyrus still looks up to you." Sans chimes in.

It doesn't help. "But even Papyrus has something, a calling for him. I don't feel like I have anything right now... Sorry, I don't want to be such a downer, I've just been thinking about it a lot..." She ends quietly. Papyrus runs a mechanic place for Monsters to fix up their rides, a perfect niche for him, honestly. Its something hes passionate about, something he has actual skill doing, something that Monsters need, and something completely free of Human interaction. Papyrus is much too pure and innocent for this world, but even he found a calling, and his lazy bones brother helps him manage it, giving him some purpose too.

"Hey, once equals happens, tons of labor jobs will open up again, more chances to flex those muscles!" I try to cheer her up. She puts a smile on again. "Yeah! I can't wait! Paris is gonna be the best!" She gets up, arms raised.

"Dinner's ready real soon!" I hear Gabe call out. "Perfect timing!" Undyne says through her grin.

We all get up to approach the dining room, in sight from the couch. We hear a knock on the door, Gabriel rushes from the kitchen to get it, narrowly avoiding us. He looks so goofy in his apron and chefs hat. He opens the door, revealing two late arrivals.

"Howdy!" Asgore welcomes Gabriel with a seemingly crushing hug, which he returns as best as he can. "Hello Gabriel!" Toriel says to the middle age man, giving him a hug too after Asgore frees him. "And you too Frisk!" Toriel says after they finish, as I walk over to greet both of them, getting a similarly strong bear hug. "Sorry we were late, your majesty here wanted water all his flowers before we came." She says sarcastically, pointing at him with her thumb. "Hey! They need to have dinner too!" He attempts to defend himself with a small grin. "Not as much as your wife wants dinner." She starts to walk towards the dinner table, greeting Undyne too, before asking me "how are you doing, my dear Frisk?" She gives me a hug too, much lighter then Asgore's. Shes stands just a bit taller then me, so its not all that awkward.

"Alright enough. Busy busy busy, the usual." I say, she walks with me to the table. Its adorned with all sorts of fancy foods, a mix of monster style dishes and human style dishes. I take a seat with her, memories flood back of the erased years I spent with her alone, how we did everything together. It was boring, but I was loved. "Sorry theres no snail pie." I whisper to her with a snicker, remembering the only thing I didn't like about the ruins. "Oh hush, don't tease me like that." She seems displeased.

"Toriel? Frisk? Could I get help from one of you?" Kassandra calls from the kitchen. Toriel moves to get up, but I interrupt her, saying I'll take care of it. The kitchen smells nice, the smell of delectable meats, veggies, and deserts present. Sans and Quill are helping her take more dishes to the large table, or atleast Quill is, carrying a lot of dishes, becoming a mobile platter, while Sans just takes the ketchup, typical of him. "Keep up the good work Quill, its good to see you." I say to him as I pass him. "what about me?" Sans stops and asks. "You're going to say 'I'm playing ketchup' or something like that." I predict, flashing a exaggerated pose, pointing a finger at him. "no, I wasn't, but thats pretty good." I can hear Toriel chuckling from the dining room. "Alright, whattaya need Kass?" I ask the woman. Her black hair and pale complexion match her seeming indifference to a given situation, she smiles when she sees me though.

"Frisk, you look _great_ tonight." She says with emphasis after scanning me. "Thanks..." I say, rubbing the back of my head. I just look what I normally look like. Jeans and a blue and purple sweater, I don't wear make up when I'm not working, and my shoulder blade distance hair is nothing special. "You too." She wears an shirt emblazon with the logo of the hospital she works at, and an unremarkable pair of sweatpants. A very casual attire, but shes a very good looking woman, so she can get away with it. "So, uh... What do you need?" I ask after a moment. "Can you please just go fetch everyone else upstairs?" She asks with a smile, before going back to putting the finishing touches on a dish.

I know there are some Monsters who don't like Kass, but they just don't understand her... Kass is a woman who likes her peace and quiet, she fell in love with Gabe because he was just that, a peaceful and quiet man, but Gabe really likes his monster friends too, and he's in a line of work where those are his only real friends. Kass works as a nurse at a nearby hospital, almost sixty hours a week, sometimes more. Association with her husband means she doesn't have any friends. Its not like Kass dislikes monsters or anything either, she wouldn't have married Gabe if that was the case, and she does like some of me and Gabe's friends. She likes Toriel, Asgore, and the kids, Zelda and Charlotte, for that, I'm certain.

I proceed upstairs, and typical of a lot of homes, over the banister there are a lot of pictures of the small family here. Gabriel, Kassandra, ***, even me, Asgore and Toriel are in a few. *** doesn't look happy in any of them, just like they don't want to be in any of them. As I ascend, I have some difficulty, my old bones disagreeing with me. I can hear talking coming from ***'s room, seems like they are having an alright time in there.

***'s door is marked with a simple wood sign that bears their name, something they seem proud of. I know they enjoy their wood shop class a great deal, maybe that's something I can connect to them with?

I go to open the door, but it opens for me. "Oh! Hello Frisk my dear!~" Muffet greets me with surprise, not expecting to see me, she closes the door behind her, seemingly eager to talk to me, and I'm more then happy to humor her, giving her a hug. "Muffet! Its great to see you!" I tell her. "Always the same!" She responds, being much better at hugging then I am.

"Sit with me here for a second, tell me how things have been!" I say, delaying my one responsibility, as we sit on the top stair. She looks the same as the day I met her, she wears her age incredibly well. "Works just been a tad stressful, but I can't complain in your presence!" She ends with a small giggle. "What happened?" I ask her, having never seen her complain about her work before. "Some arrogant snob just snubbed a deal we had been negotiating for weeks, because she 'doesn't work with devils.'" She ends with air quotes, the rest of her arms crossed. "That's a shame, but speaking of something similar, will you be joining us for the Paris summit? If it works out, equal rights are gonna get passed!" I say with excitement, hoping one of my closest friends will get to join.

Back when Monsters were freed, I obviously didn't get to hang out with many other children, seeing how busy I was, and how most Humans hated my guts for too long. Muffet was one of the only kids I spent a lot of time with, because she was always very mature for being really young, having no parents of her own, hell, a lot of people didn't even know she was younger then I was. We spent tons of time together, becoming close to best friends, she was always so well read and smart, if I asked for advice about ambassador stuff, she always had a really good view on things. It was either her I spent a lot of time with, Quill, or Ezikel, and we were all a bit of a merry band, it was escape from all the stress.

She wears a small frown. "I would love too, dear, but Quill and I have a bit of an agreement." She says. "Really? What about?" I ask, wondering why. "He wouldn't ever be able to forgive himself if something happened to me, or Charlotte if we were to join him on any business. I agree with him to an extent, I know how dangerous the job is, just look what happened to Gabriel all that time ago." She says, referencing the time he nearly got killed in a hate attack. "To be fair, that was in the States over a decade ago, and we'd be in a very well guarded location, being here on united nations business." I try to convince her, but she doesn't budge. "It was a part of our vows, dearie, and its something hes absolutely adamant about, as much as I would _love_ to join." She ends with sincerity.

"One day we'll all go together, when equal rights are passed." I say, putting my hand on one of hers. "Oh I would love to try the best pastries in the world." She says, with an air of daydreaming. "What? To feed your ego, because yours are still better?" I say with a laugh. "You know me too well! Ahuhuhu!" We yuck it up for a moment.

I sigh. "Hows Charlotte doing?" I ask her about the precious girl. "Shes the thing, that at the end of every hard day, lets me know all the pain and hardship is worth it. I know you hear it a lot, but thank you, _truly,_ for what you do, and for what you've done already." She ends strangely.

"Whats this got to do with me?" I ask her, confused. "Because of you I met my husband, and because of you, my child will live in a world accepting of her one day." She says, her eyes closed. "You and your husband are doing just as much as I am." I tell her honestly, looking at the photos on the wall.

"We'll call it even then." She says. I'm glad she just takes the compliment, instead of insisting my work is more important, true as it may be. "Hey Muffet" I start, looking at the family photos "do you think you could help me talk with *** later? I know they really likes you." I ask her, wondering about the child. "What about?" She inquires. "Once equals get passed, I want to spend more time with them." I say, a half truth. I never confided in Muffet about my powers, I always wanted to keep our relationship innocent. The only person I've told is Sans, and thats because he pretty much already knew, same with Asgore.

The question amuses her. "You too? Quill brought up the _exact_ same thing earlier today, talk with him about it, and I'll join you two." Really? That's a nice surprise. Muffet gets on her feet, and does a small stretch. "I'm heading downstairs dearie, lets talk after dinner." She ends with a smile. "Toodles!~" She heads down after I say my goodbye too.

I get back up, and go into ***'s room, pretty uninspired, but definitely theirs. No posters or anything of the like, but a few shelves display a few trophies from their old school days, there's room for other trophies, but the space is reasonably dusty. Lots of books of all sorts, they still have their old kids stuff on the bottom shelves, their newer stuff going up. There's a fair amount of video games visible on one of the shelfs, pretty quaint compared to Zelda's collection of games, which pales in comparison to her mothers' massive game and anime collection, they just decided to replace their living room with a colorful library of the stuff...

Charlotte and Zelda are playing a video game on ***'s nice tv, fairly small, but a good fit for a room like this. They seem to be having a alright time, laughing it up, but Zelda is obviously doing better, Charlotte struggling with the controls. Zelda isn't as awkward as her mother though, and is helping the other child learn, just in general being a lot more sociable. Speaking of her awkward mother...

"How much do you want for it." Alphys states as a serious decree rather then a question.

"No." *** states, continuing to play a somewhat old looking game system, relaxing on their bed. They have a look of disinterest, as Alphys tries to curve her head to look at the screen.

Alphys sounds desperate. "You don't understand ***, I NEED this."

"No." *** continues to play, the sounds of lasers firing blare from the tiny devices speakers.

"****** ********, that is a device more then a century old, you risk damaging gaming _history_ every time you play that, it deserves nothing more but airtight storage and delicate claws to maintain it. Those games are hotly desired collectables, in demand from enthusiasts all around the world, and should _only_ be played via emulation, for the fear that the game or its respective system be damaged." She takes a deep breath, and continues her rant. "And the selection of games you have! Almost as if it used to belong to an avid collector, and a true connoisseur they were! These are a best hits collection of this long lived cornerstone of portable gaming!" She gushes.

I think shes done when she stops here, but no, shes not. "People in online forums would _actually_ kill for the chance to even _touch_ this nostalgic collection, a glimpse back in time to some of the glory days of the most iconic games company of all time! So please, ***, I will give you anything, I will _do_ anything to have that system, and those games!" She finishes, *** seems to have paused the game, looking at Alphys with curiosity. "So? What do ya say?" She ends with excitement.

"No." They continue playing their game, as Alphys scoffs, turning around with a nervous sigh. "Oh, uh, hi Frisk! Whats going on?" She asks, a bit jumpy. "Just came up to say dinner will be ready any moment. Hows everyone doing in here?" I greet the room with some volume.

"Frisk!" Charlotte and Zelda abandon their game and jog towards me, both with beaming smiles. Zelda has some of her mothers strength, jumping into my arms, much to my surprise. I give her a hug, placing her down, and doing much the same for Charlotte, she squeals with joy. They both fight for my attention, trying to tell me, or ask me things. "Hey! We can play after dinner!" I say with laughter, the kids warming my heart. "Yeah Zelda, leave your auntie be!" Alphys takes her daughters hand, the small girl almost bigger then her mother.

"Okay mom!" Zelda says with a wide smile reminiscent of Undyne's. Charlotte grips my hand, happy to see me. I kneel down a bit so I can address her, she's a very pretty young girl, her skin a translucent magenta, she has three beady eyes, and just four arms, basically a more rigid, yet still soft combination of her parents, she will be a very beautiful woman one day. "We can talk all you want after dinner, I'll be here for a couple of hours, so don't be in a rush!" I take her hand in mine, I get a look at her cute face. "Now get downstairs with Alphys, dinner looks great tonight!" She nods, and rushes out of the room, Alphys and Zelda following behind, leaving us alone.

I sit on ***'s bed, near their legs, looking at them. The sounds of the video game speaking to their ignorance. This may actually be convenient.

"Hey ***, how are you doing?" I ask, trying to be nice. The sounds of the game stop, and they look at me with a face of indifference.

They speak quietly. "Alright, I guess." They close their game system, and set it next to them with a small plop. "Where did you get that?" I ask them, curious where they got something so old.

"Stole it from an antiques place." They say with complete honesty.

"***! Why would you do that?" I ask, kind of disappointed in them. I'm not going to get mad at them, I want to understand _why_ they do this.

They sigh. "The old lady who owned the place was mean to us, called Charlotte a duster and everything." They say, with a bit of pouting, crossing their arms.

I look towards the ground, a bit of anger as I totally believe them.

"***, you can't respond to hate, with hate. That only makes everything worse. That old lady is closeted and racist, yes, but this has probably only strengthened those opinions." I try to explain to them, they look at me with disinterest, and frown.

"Sure..." They say quietly, obviously not convinced.

I try to change the subject.

"You look good, your hair is so pretty." I tell them with a smile. "Everyone says that, but I hate it. I rather have hair like yours, or like moms." *** has never been all that concerned with appearances, so its strange to hear them comment about them desiring anything related. I scooch up closer to them. "You should embrace the things that make you unique, not shun them." I try to give them some advice, but this gets me attitude in response. "Not when this stupid hair gets _me_ shunned, its just another excuse for the other kids at school to pick on me, without it, I could blend in better, maybe get treated as a normal person by people who don't know anything about me." They say with some aggravation.

"I hate talking with adults sometimes, all I get are empty words of encouragement, advice, and lectures. I just want to talk sometimes, not get talked at." The frustration is evident, and I feel a twang of guilt.

*** is such a change of pace for me, any kids I've ever dealt with have been nothing but respectful and nice. I know *** likes me, but they are the only kid that never seems starstruck around me. Any other children treat me like some legend and hero, *** doesn't really care all that much, which is refreshing, I'm just their weird Aunt. They aren't really rude to me, just a bit abrasive sometimes, but I don't think its out of malice.

I pat the device in my pocket, taking it out, and taking a look at it. A simple phone shaped object with a screen and button. Straight line means the target is inline with the time-space continuum, anything else is an anomaly. I grip it with a bit of fear, afraid of the result.

I stall, asking them a question through the awkward silence.

"***, what do you think responsibility is?" I ask them.

They scoff. "Is this another lecture? I'm not interested in-" I interrupt them "***, I'm speaking to you as an adult here, an adult that cares about you a lot. So, if you could humor me, speak to me as an adult back, give me your opinion on this. This isn't to lecture you, this is... about something, something important." I try to convince them.

"Dinners ready! Come on down!" I can hear Kass call from downstairs.

*** moves to get up from the bed, but I hold their arm in place with my hand gently.

"They can wait a minute, I want to talk for a moment." I say, getting them to reluctantly sit up in the bed, looking at me with annoyance. "Fine..."

They take a deep breath.

"Responsibility is taking care of the things you were put in charge of. That good enough for you?" They say, looking the other way, obviously wanting to leave.

I take the device in my trembling hands, to their curiosity. "What the hell is that?" *** asks, confusion present. I turn the device on, pointing it at an empty space in the room, it comes up flat, as it should.

Please don't be it.

Please don't be it.

I pray that we were wrong.

You don't deserve this burden.

I take a deep breath, and point the device at the confused child.

The line is no longer straight.

They are an anomaly, they are _the_ anomaly now.

"Responsibility... Its having ownership of a great power, and making sure you don't misuse it, and fall for its trappings..." I say, I feel a tear rolling down my cheek. "Okay? Can we go no-" I interrupt them with a tight hug. They don't seem to struggle, just reluctantly accepting it. "Are you okay auntie...?" They ask with concern.

"I am, I just regret I haven't spent as much time with you as I've wanted too. After Paris, how would you like to go out to dinner together? I'd like to get to know you a bit better, okay?" I ask them.

"That sounds alright." They say. "Are you sure you're okay? This is weird..." They continue, completely unaware. Its okay, they'll find out soon. This will be... complicated to explain, I'll need to put the plan together now.

We get up together.

"Lets go eat." I say with a smile, taking their hand into mine, and walking downstairs.

Together, towards the future.

One plate at a time.

* * *

My name is Ezikel Dallora Delta the 4th.

I'm a Monster ambassador, working directly under and with Gabby "Frisk" Dreemurr. Together, and with the help of a lot of other Monsters, and a few Humans too, we seek to gain equal rights for Monsterkind, and ensure the protections of those Monsters. Its not an easy job, but it sure is fulfilling.

I'm going to a dinner at another coworker's place tonight.

Its a nice night out, a cool breeze in a warm summer. I can't drive, so I'm forced to walk to Gabe's place, not that I mind, I'm pretty good at walkin! I had a bad habit of tripping when I was young, but I got over that a long time ago, I mean, I would hope so, I am the ripe age of fifty five afterall! I'm looking mighty spiffy in my work clothes right now, want to look my best around Frisk, and her friends too.

Soon enough, I make it to the party place itself, a bunch of cars, and a bike in the driveway. I make my way up to the door, doing a quick neck stretch, before giving the door a knock with my tail.

…

I wait a few moments.

...

I ring the doorbell.

"Is someone at the door?" I hear over the chatter inside.

After another hot moment of waiting, the door opens, and I'm greeted by a coworker.

My big blue blob of a friend, Quill greets me. "Oh, hello Ezikel! You sure are... late."

I pan my head to peer behind his gelatinous form, to see a dinner table with next to no food left, only a few chatting people. "Hey MK!" a few of them call to me. "Egh... I thought dinner was at eight...?" I ask in confusion. "Seven, Ezikel. It was at seven." He says, obviously humored. "HEY MK! HOW'S IT HANGIN?" My coworker is trampled, the mighty Undyne standing on his deflating body, much to his surprise.

Wow...

Shes just as awesome as always!

"ITS GOIN GREAT!" I give a light shout, before also trampling over Quill, into the house.

Its pretty lively, Gabe and his wife are talkin in the kitchen, making smoochy faces with each other, as they clean dishes. Charlotte and Zelda are playing a board game together with Alphys and Undyne, after she sits back down with them. Quill moseys back over to sit with his wife on the living room couch, they both give me a little wave, I wave back at them with my tail. I take a walk into the dining room, all the food is gone! No! I scrounge the table for scraps, taking quick spoonfuls of mashed potatoes, and a few bites of salad.

Wheres Frisk? I've seen everyone else, I think... Gabe's kid is a no show, but their probably just hidin out in their room. Ol' king and queen should be around too.

I walk into the kitchen, Gabe notices my approach, turning around with a laugh. "Fashionably late as always Ezikel, but better late then never." He says before giving me a brief hug. "Good to see you too!" I say, glancing over my tardiness.

"I've seen everyone else, wheres Frisk though?" I ask towards the two.

"Shes outside talking with Sans." Kass chimes in. "In the backyard?" I ask. "Yup." She responds, before starting to wash again.

I make my way through the comfy, tan halls, eventually reaching a window pane that opens to the backyard. I end up peeking on a weird sight, did something happen?

Sans is giving Frisk an embrace, and she looks really sad... I should give them a minute.

I stand up against the wall, listening to the conversations in the other room.

"SUCK IT NERDS! NGAHHH!" I hear Undyne shout, followed by a loud crash. Huh, she must have won.

I spend some time fooling around on my phone, really slowly at that, a long tail is really nice, but its hard to use any sort of holo-screen device with it. Good grief, the internet sucks for anything political, its always either one extreme end, or the other, fake sensationalist news drones out the real stuff, information pollution and all that. I've given up hope on finding any legitimate worldwide reporting on us, but I always vainly hope that some big place will do some justice for us. Better some hope then no hope though.

I know what the internet is good for though. Silly cat videos!

After a few minutes, and a bit of chuckling, the door opens up, and closes.

"Frisk? Oh, hi Sans!" I say, working my way to my feet in an awkward shimmy.

"oh, hey mk. didn't think you were gonna show." He looks up at me with his empty eyes.

"Everything alright?" I ask, concerned.

He takes a moment to respond. "its complicated." Thats not like Sans, he's usually a lot more succinct then that. I have this nagging feeling in the back of my mind, the kind the reasonable part of my mind wants to immediately dismiss, but I can't help but letting loose a stupid question.

"Sans... what is Frisk to you?" I ask, almost immediately regretting it, cringing. Stupid, stupid!

He stares into my soul.

"a close friend. i know what you're asking, and you can ask her if you want. she won't lie to you." He says, his tone unchanging. "Sorry, I was really paranoid..." I say to him. Sans has always been a blank enigma, even though I feel like I'm his friend, I don't know a damn thing about him other then surface level stuff. Frisk seems like she does, which always made me wonder, why? They didn't seem all too close in the underground when we were evacuating. "i don't blame you, but look at me, i'm a sweater bag of bones, and even if i was interested, which i never have been, shes over a century younger then me, would be way too weird." He ends, reassuring me. Damn, Sans is way older then I expected, didn't strike me as a geezer type. "Sorry, that was a dumb thing of me to ask." I say, ashamed.

He begins walking away. I move to go out and see her, but Sans stops to remind me about something. "we still on for tommorow night? shyren and blooks performance?" I smile. "You know it." I confirm, before he heads off.

I pop open the screen door, back into the nice night. Frisk is looking up at the moon, the sky is really clear tonight, I can see why.

"Its nice out, huh?" I ask her, getting her to turn around and greet me. "MK! You sure are-" "Yeah, yeah, yeah, MK is late, I know." I interject, sitting down on the edge of the deck with a plop, my bare feet feeling nice on the grass. The backyard is simple, and small, some garden stuff in one corner, a swing set in the other. Stereotypical is what it is, but that's not a bad thing.

She sits down with me.

"I talked with Sans." I break the moment of silence. "About what?" She asks. "I saw you crying with him, and I ended up asking him a... real stupid and dumb question." I say, quieting down near the end of it out of shame. "What did you ask him?" She says, seeming to cheer her up, as she tries to peer at me, as I look away. "C'mon! What did you say!" She nudges me, as I stay silent.

Just say it, let her get a good laugh at what a turd you are...

"I asked what you were to him." I force out.

She howls with laughter, her back on the deck, slamming her fist into the wood, much to my embarrassment, as I put my head into my lap, groaning. She laughing the type of laughing where it gets hard to breath, looks like you are having a coughing fit. She intersperses the laughing with all sorts of disbelief, like repeating what I said, or stuff like "that's golden" "why would you ask that" or other unintelligible babbling.

She does stop eventually, or slow down rather, still giggling like a school child, as I wallow in embarrassment.

It goes back to awkward silence after that, until she asks "why are you still so interested in me?"

"I-I don't know... I just like you." I say, still refusing to look her in the eyes.

She sighs. "Why? I'm some wrinkly old Human, when you're basically still in the prime of your youth... So why _still_ me over any number of Monster women who I'm sure would jump on the chance to date a handsome ambassador like you." She states, in a bit of a pout.

"Cuz none of them are you." I tell her, with an exaggerated tone. "Oh, you're such an awful flirt." She says with a laugh.

Me and Frisk have been... on and off casual dating for almost twenty years now. We keep breaking it off, for the sake of being professional, seeing as we work together. But things happen, we have a stressful work night, one thing leads to another, and we just take comfort in each other. We've both expressed a level of interest in making it a serious thing, but its never gone anywhere.

"What are you gonna do when there's no more need for ambassadors?" I ask.

She puts rests her head on my neck, her hair tickles my soft skin.

"Like, work wise?"

"Yeah."

"Probably nothing, retire, and be the weird old lady down the road. I want to be more active in ***'s life, so hopefully that isn't too long off." She says, daydreaming, or night-dreaming rather.

"I'm gonna be out of a job too, when that happens. I have no clue what I'm going to do after that." I say, unsure of my future. I've spent so long wrapped up in this job, I've never had time to get interested in anything else.

So many stars. I wonder if there's anyone else out there, more people like us. There has to be good people, and bad people. It scares me, but intrigues me at the same time. This Earth is so much bigger then any of us Monsters thought, but the world beyond that is so much bigger. There are Humans on the moon, and on mars, right as I think this. Some of those Humans have been up there longer then we have been on the surface, I wonder what they think of us, from all the way up there? I wonder who will be the first Monster to venture outside Earth, and if they'll face the same adversity. Will the first aliens we meet be like us, or like them? Will there be war again? I'll live to see it, most likely.

That's right. "We're all checked out for Paris, got the plane booked. Was kind of a nightmare to get the negotiations down, but I managed. _'What do you MEAN you want to book THAT MANY monsters? And only two of those things are even ambassadors? This is a joke, right?'_ " I end, mocking my experiences with an exaggerated voice, before scoffing. What a pain in the ass that was, costs a fortune to rent out a private jet, UN still won't get us a ride out on their business, even though they are taking this quite seriously.

"Thanks MK. You're the best." She thanks me.

I scoff in jest. "I can't believe how long that nicknames stuck, like why don't people call me 'Monster _Man'_ instead? Thats way cooler, and _sexy_." I say, accentuating the end. "Ezikel fits you even better." She whispers. "Also, MK sounds better then MM." She adds, kinda undermining the compliment.

" _I don't wanna be your monster kid, I wanna be your monster_ _ **man**_." I joke with a fake country accent.

It gets a good chortle out of her.

"I should write valentines cards." I say.

"With your tail-writing? Not a chance, people don't like getting chicken scratch for a gift."

"Oof! That hurts!" I say in mock hurt, wrapping my tail around her side, tickling her weak side, getting her to laugh a bit more, saying to stop. I do, after a moment.

I rest my head on hers.

We spend a few minutes looking to the moon, the dotted black sky around it.

"You sure you don't want to try again?" I ask.

"I'd love nothing more, but I can't." She whispers, knowing exactly what I'm asking.

"You're telling the truth? I always get the nagging suspicion you're just being nice to me, and that you aren't interested at all. I don't want to be the creep that doesn't take the hint." I ask, scared.

"I wouldn't lie to you like that, its just too complicated right now. I need to be able to focus, especially now, on the cusp of success."

"What if equals gets passed? What then?"

She thinks about it for a moment.

"Take me out to a nice dinner, and we'll talk about it."

"Sounds like I better give it my all in Paris." I say with some confidence.

I know this is gonna work out, we'll do this together.

"Hey, go talk with Zelda, she really wanted to see you, kept talking about your excellent piggy back rides during dinner. I need to do some stuff too." She says, slowly getting up.

I get up to meet her. Shes old, but shes still the same person, and she still looks beautiful in the light.

She gives me a kiss on the cheek, before going in. I follow after her a few dazed moments later, a big dumb smile on my face.

* * *

The night goes by like a blur.

This is why I do all this. Why I work as hard as I do.

I treasure each and every one of these moments.

A house of Monsters and Humans, having fun together. A big loving family, its possible.

After talking with MM, I came back in and played with the kids a bit more, getting to talk to *** a bit more too, I love it when they talk about something they love, its almost like they are a different person. Got to discuss some things with Muffet too, she invited me to have a girls night out of sort after Paris, something I gladly accepted. Quill is all ready for Paris, so I discussed some accommodations with him and Ezikel, once he got out of his stupor, we're all super excited for Paris, almost everyone is gonna be there, it'll be like tonight every night for almost a full week.

But tonight is over.

Zelda has already tuckered herself out, so Undyne, Alphys, and her are the first to leave.

Asgore and Toriel head out afterward, bidding everyone a good night. They talked with *** for a bit too, also concerned about them. I'll have to talk with Asgore when we get back, they'll want to have a part in ***'s teachings too.

Sans disappeared, after saying bye, the usual.

Ezikel headed out not too long after, giving me a wink on the way out, like the smooth criminal he is...

Charlotte and *** are playing the board game in the living room now, a close match. Charlotte ends up winning, with a small clap, *** sulking at their loss.

Me and Quill talked with Gabe. We all share that we want to spend more time with ***, even if Equals doesn't get passed, Gabe especially expressed a lot of guilt over not being with his child enough. Kassandra agreed too.

"Its time to go sweetie." Quill and Muffet state to their child, getting a bit of a disappointed reaction, but she gets up. "Don't fret, we'll be coming back after your father comes back from Paris. It will be a large celebration, we can even come earlier!" Muffet kneels down to cheer her daughter up, before they leave for the night, *** waves goodbye to their friend, and I do the same. I'd love to spend more time with the slimeball and spidergal, they are both a joy to be around.

Kassandra rounds the corner, still cleaning the remnants of the feast. "When're you headin out, Frisk? If you want to stay the night, you can." She offers, to which I decline. "Put away the game, and head off to bed ***, its really late." She reminds her child and says bye to me, before heading off upstairs, probably to go to bed.

I get up from the couch, the oh so comfy couch, and approach ***, kneeling over. "You need help cleaning this up?" I ask them. "If you want." They respond, gathering the many pieces, I help them. Eventually shelving the large game and its many pieces.

"When I come back from Paris, do you want to go to the book store? I'll treat you." I ask them, they sit down with me, letting loose a yawn. "That sounds nice." They say quietly.

I get up on my feet again, turning around to look at ***.

I kneel down to them again.

"I want you to know, if you ever have a problem, or an issue, you can tell me. I'm not your parent, I won't tell them, I won't punish you, it'll be _our_ secret. And if you ever need help... I will be there for you. It may take time, but I _will_ help you." I try to reassure them.

"...okay. Thanks." They say quietly, with a small smile.

I'll be there for you, I _need_ to be there for you.

I won't let you suffer like me and Asriel did.

* * *

Next week, we go to Paris, we try to make Monsters more then that.

I've worked my entire life for this, slaved to the bone to make sure the people who saved my life can live theirs fairly, and freely.

My long, long life of passion and hardship...

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry it wasn't good enough.


	9. Chapter 8 - Saga

THE NINTH FALL - Chapter 8 "Saga."

* * *

I wonder what being burned alive feels like.

The sense of panic, knowing that nothing you do can save yourself from immolation. How long does a person last? How long does it hurt, before all your nerves are burned away? The state of flux where all is fire... is it a fate I'm safe from now?

It feels like the answer is a yes, as I sit in the still lit ruins of the house I took refuge in. My fire doesn't hurt me, which I already knew, but it still surprises me that I can stay in a burning building with no repercussion. There is no smoke, so I can't suffocate, I feel heat, but not enough to make me uncomfortable, which I know is just me, or I couldn't burn things, and I... just feel safe in it, a far cry from the majority of my time down here.

I started to comb through the still burning ruins for any of my stuff, or anything of value that was in the house before I burned it down. Good news, it freed me from being stuck to the ground, bad news, I probably coulda done it without burning the entire house down, along with all of my clothes and possessions... Luckily the robe is fireproof, maybe magicproof, or I would be stuck walking around naked, which seems like a bad idea when I have more then a fair chance of going back out to a blizzard at any time. Sure isn't bleed-proof though, which I happened to a do a lot of yesterday. It still stains the royal purple robe, almost making it look bruised and battered, a fogged window to the skin below.

Its no use, I can't find anything in the wreckage. None of my possessions are here, but I don't need em anyways, the knife was dull with all the blood on it, and the clothes were awful too, too small, too dirty, too stinky, but did offer some warmth.

The fire around me burns a deep red, with white outlining it, and occasionally crackling off. I would call it too coincidental that it represents me, but thats what magic is, right? A representation of its owners will and imagination?

If that's the case, my will and magic continues to get stronger and stronger the more I use it. What used to be small balls of embers, are now full on fireballs, that I can chuck like soft balls that explode on contact, I can use them like bowling balls that leave a trail of fire, or throw them at my feet to create a ring of fire around me. It doesn't take much effort, but it can start to get exhausting after a while. I don't know how I know to do this, it just comes naturally... Maybe I'm a prodigy? Or maybe this is normal.

Why did Humans stop using magic? Could they ever...? Maybe they still can, and its like a secret? Dude... maybe Area 51 was filled with magical artifacts or imprisoned mages! That would be sweet! Wait, that's bad, I should probably hope magic is a forgotten secret, I don't need some super magic jammer swat team after me.

I sigh, removing myself from the still aflame wreckage and start to move forward.

The pain in my side is still very present, but no where even near as bad as before I slept. Was that yesterday, or today? Who would have known it was difficult to keep an internal clock when you're indoors. Or dying.

My feet are in god awful condition, and its exasperated by no longer having shoes. Both of them are a sickly dark purple, and now I'm forced to look at it. Eugh, its gross, and it stings to walk on, both from the pain of their condition, and the stones I have to watch not to walk on. It reminds me of the old history class we took in school, "World War 1", the soldiers had to stay in trenches, with muddy water for weeks on end. This ended up giving the poor saps "Trench Foot," where their feet would end up getting super messed up, really swollen, bloody, and leaking pus, disgusting stuff. They'd have to deal with that, and killing each other with zero communication for potentially months on end, and even if they somehow made it home, would be traumatized, and need both legs amputated. People call it the darkest period in recent human history, I'm not sure about that, but definitely the most messed up of the three world wars. Makes my feet look pretty tame, honestly. Its probably mostly frostbite. Mostly. Probably.

This looked to be a small village of sorts, there was another house next to the one I burned down, was, but that burned down too, collateral damage and all that. Checked that wreckage too, nothing other then a few burned books, nothing I could make out, a shame really. There was another house in a nearby cavern, but it looked like it was burned down too, but not by me, I think its been that way for years.

I take a look inside, being careful around the charred black wreckage, as to not step on any sharp objects, wanting to keep my feet inside my skin. Dammit, there's nothing here... A few empty rooms, but nothing else, maybe this was just looted, have there been more people passing through like me? Made victim to these mimics? No... Flowey said I was the first, if I'm remembering right...

I keep moving, praying that the path ahead isn't another winter wonderland, after getting mixed up on the path ahead, I manage to find a new path to the right of the trash heap.

The sound of rushing water starts again, but I don't think about it for long, there's another tablet here. I long for these, like they've been placed here just for me, giving me a snippet of a dead world.

"Hurt, beaten, and fearful for our lives, we surrendered to the Humans. Seven of their greatest magicians sealed us underground with a magic spell. Anything can enter through the seal, but only beings with a powerful SOUL can leave."

So Humans could use magic...

"There is only one way to reverse this spell. If a huge power, equivalent to seven human SOULs, attacks the barrier... It will be destroyed."

How did they know this...? Did they? Wait, I remember one of those flowers mentioning that the barrier is gone, and it had something to do with Frisk? How did she do it? Did she know magic the entire time?

"But this cursed place has no entrances or exits. There is no way a human could come here. We will remain trapped down here forever."

Everything about this turned out to be wrong, huh?

Damn, a quick glance ahead yields no tablets to read. The ones I just read were separated by small waterfalls, which reminds me of something I want to do. I quickly disrobe to take a natural shower, an attempt to get all the caked blood off of me. I spend what feels like an hour cleaning it off of me, at least what I can. The stuff was pretty easy to get off my face, but wasn't below the waist. Ugh, bleeding from here was not fun, and not being able to get all the blood out from between my thighs is nothing but a reminder. It also gives me a flash of my nightmare from last night, which tenses up my midsection in reflex...

 _Deep breath._

I look at my naked body in the dim reflection of the running waterfall, illuminating it with fire.

A good look at it, I gently move, as to spectate my pale and bruised form. I move my free hand into the water flow, cutting off my vision below my chest, before moving it again.

He would have wanted me to hate the sight of myself, wouldn't he have?

Hate is a strong word, it takes a lot to hate something, and mean it truly. Ever since that first time he brought me to that house, I _hated_ Gregory, because I knew what I was to him, without a shadow of a doubt, I was just a meat toy, and nothing else.

That's what he was doing, wasn't it? He was grooming a sex doll for a fetish still taboo, looking in the place with the most vulnerable people possible. He wanted to condition me, make me dependent on him for survival, starving me, wallow in my madness by making sure I got almost no medicine, and to make me hate myself.

But it only made me hate him all the more.

 _Deep breath._

I slowly drag my hand down my water slick body, the lower it gets, the more my body recoils in resistance, muscle memory I can't fight against, as hard as I try.

A scar of the mind. Even my own hands are strangers now.

 _Deep breath._

He's dead, I killed him. Maybe I'll kill his friends too, when I get out of here.

Wouldn't they love to see me? And wouldn't I love to burn them alive...

 _Deep breath..._

I hold the rough rock wall through the other side of the waterfall, getting my face closer, and taking a look at it, still exhausted, still me, and still smiling.

I get another good look at my wound from yesterday. Its a bright white dot, which has bright red cracks in my skin off shooting from that point that are hard to the touch. It doesn't appear to have even bled at all, but it still hurts a hell of a lot, just like my left hands fingers still sting a great deal.

I play around in the water for a moment, messing around with my fire magic, the water is able to quell it in small dosages, but if I focus I can manage to keep it aflame, creating steam. Hmm... I cup my hands together, conjuring a gentle flame in the middle, a bowl of fire, and fill it with water. After a few moments, the water starts to boil. I use the boiling water to clean the last of the blood out of my thighs, freeing myself of the potential painful memories. I take the robes and do the same with them, making them good as new, not a single red stain in sight. I don't even have to worry about them staying wet, as I can just use magic to dry them, with no fear of turning it to a crisp.

I feel much better now, clean body, clean clothes, clean-ish mind. I still smell like roast garbage though.

The path ahead is dark, only illuminated by the echo flowers, and strange luminescent stones that litter the ground. The echo flowers continue to display a nervous populace. Context says that the humans almost killed the entire race, so its very deserved that they were anxious, possibly thinking they were going to the slaughter house.

"Seven human souls..." I repeat to myself as I walk in the dark, wondering how the barrier was destroyed. How did Frisk do it? Was there another way?

I feel my throat get tight.

Frisk... I miss you.

She taught my father everything he knew about politics for his position as ambassador. She was always so smart, its like she knew everything... All of her advice was always perfect, she just was... Perfect. That must have been why she was seen as a hero down here. After how many years down here, one human slips through the cracks, and solves everything? That's just like her...

She was a close friend of the family even before that, having connections with my grandparents back in the day, she was family to them too. But that seems like everyone who knew her treated her like family.

I stop reminiscing about my old auntie, and focus on the path ahead, this is like black maze, the dim blue light only barely illuminating the path around me. A small path that seems hidden off the way leads into a small cave.

Temmie's? Ha! No way! The sign here reads "Temmie Village," this must have been where they lived, or perhaps where they were quarantined.

Up in New Providence, there were two classes of Monsters, abled, and assisted, abled are monsters that can live more or less on their own, fully functioning minds, limbs, senses, all that stuff, basically Human at that point. Assisted are less able Monsters, either in a physical or mental way. Temmie's were assisted on both fronts, they could talk and stuff, but the vast majority were pretty stupid, and didn't understand much of anything. They were also small and walked on four legs, so they couldn't really do much of anythings. They were basically just talking cats.

There was one that was actually an outlier, Bob, I think? He ended up getting a PHD, actually one of the first Monsters to get a lot of recognition in the Human world. He didn't look the part, but he got there. A quick glance around the cave reveals nothing of interest. Was hoping to find something interesting on their origins, but other then a exaggerated painting and statue, there's a whole lot of nothing. There's a sign above a cave door that reads "Tem Shop" but the wooden shelving houses nothing, other then poorly written signs.

You know what would be nice right now? Some socks and boots, and a bar of soap. Oh, and a shotgun too, but I suppose that's too much to ask.

Back on the main path, it continues for a while, with nothing of note. Eventually, I do reach more echo flowers.

"Can we trust the Human?"

"The queen has returned at last, and she trusts the child, so should we?"

"What if its a trap?"

"Why can't we stay if we want too?"

"King Asgore has decreed that no one stay-"

I interrupt the flower with a sudden and loud gasp once I realize what I just heard.

King... Asgore...

He... was king? Of all of the monsters?

He...

Does that mean...?

My fists clench, as I hear my gasping echoed by the flowers, their words overwritten.

I need to get to the bottom of this.

A final tablet on the wall adds only more to my confusion.

"However... There is a prophecy. The Angel... The One Who Has Seen The Surface. They will return. And the underground will go empty."

Frisk...

Asgore, and his wife, Toriel, that means she must have been queen.

While the puzzle pieces are beginning to fall into place, the picture it depicts is still not clear.

* * *

"WELCOME TO HOTLAND," says a very outdated and no longer working neon sign. Ugh, this is cheesy, why is it even here?

The monsters on the surface are not even close to as weird as the ones who built the stuff down here. Maybe they just got bored and this is how they amused themselves.

The name Hotland starts to register in my mind not as a dumb abstract name, but a literal stupid name, as the air starts to heat up quite a bit. The corridor leads to an opening plateau, in quite a bright area for a change of pace. A quick look over the edge confirms my suspicion on the source of the heat, but still manages to surprise me enough to fall backwards onto the soil in fright.

Its goddamn lava! A quick crawl back to the corner to look over the ledge reveals that, yes, it still is lava. It seems quite flowing, the glowing orange magma, or is it lava? It is technically underground, so that makes it magma? Maybe? Whatever, orange-hot-goop hurts my eyeballs to look at. A quick

glance around reveals that the monsters down here apparently didn't have a strong penchant for safety, no guard rails at all. Whats worse is the only way forward is going over it on a rickety bridge. A slow walk towards it reveals its in worse condition then the one back in coldland. Careful steps on its first plank has a cringe inducing creak too it, which exhausts a long and nervous sigh from me, the only other sounds over the crackling and bubbling down below.

I have no other way forward, so I have to go over this... dammit.

It takes me a few minutes, but eventually I start taking steps forward, with every creak my heart-rate increases. Falling to my death is one thing, falling in lava is another thing entirely. It will hurt, and I will die, it won't be fast, and it will be slow. Eventually, I do make it to the other side. Which doesn't mean much past me feeling better about things, because the bridge wasn't even close to as long

as the one I had my first run in with my doppelgangers at. A large building up ahead starts to come into focus over the shimmers of heat.

"LAB" reads a sign over the door. How descriptive. A sliding steel door seems quite advanced for the other tech down here, and by tech, I mean wood. Yeah, just wood. The door here isn't that far off from the stuff on the surface, so good on them for that, considering what, no ones been down here for fifty years or so? There's two other paths to go down, but why do that? Whats in the Laboratory?

A quick knock on the door yields no fruit, the door not opening, don't know why I expected an answer. Probably a lack of power, or maybe it opens in a different way then sliding doors usually do? Maybe its just locked and I'm being a doofus. This seems to be a dead end unless I brute force my way in.

The path to the right yields no fruit, its been collapsed, and I ain't jumping a lava pit to get to the other side, besides, it just looks like a river on the other end. The other side has a nice oddity. Its a sign on a stick, some indents on the ground implied there was an attempt to stick it into the ground with no success, it lazily lies on the ground. A glance over it reads:

 **GO THROUGH LAB EVELATOR, PATH AHEAD IS DANGEROUS.**

 **-FLOWEY**

 **(PS: I'M NOT JOKING)**

The sign is written in very poor chicken scratch, understandable considering the status of his hands.

Ugh, why should I trust him? He doesn't seem any better then the white freaks. At least his voice sounds funny, that could be a plus. I decide to ignore the sign, but my curiosity gets the better of me to check out the lab anyway. He may have been helping me all along, so should I trust him?

Another knock doesn't do anything, so I have to force myself through. A few moments later and the door is melted into a mess of molten metal. Its weird and squishy to walk through the melted steel, but soothes my swollen feet. Maybe I could let it solidify around my feet for use as boots? Never mind, that's an awful idea. The room is dark, only illuminated by a combination of the lava filled cave, and the molten metal behind me. The light switch surprisingly works, revealing a room far too large for its own good.

There's a huge ass TV, or computer immediately to my left, oh, there's a escalator before it, but its powered down. After the computer is a desk with nothing on it, and a fridge next to that. I open the fridge to see if there's any food, but its empty. Of course. After being reminded of being hungry, I start to eat some conjured pickles, ugh I'm so sick of these damn things. There's a restroom that only has a pink outline of a monster on it. I don't need to use a washroom, so I keep going. There's another escalator here, so I decide to go up it. There's basically nothing up here other then a dresser with nothing in it, a big work bench, and a weird cube... thing.

I come back down the escalator on the other side of the room, and nope, I don't see anything that resembles an elevator. Unless... yep, the washroom was actually an elevator in disguise. Seems like a dumb place to hide something. Sure, i'll see whats down here before I leave, there's another door in the lab that looks like an exit.

The elevator only has a up and down button, I give the down button a cursory press. The door softly closes, nothing happens for a moment. Then sirens start blaring, as I can hear the elevator start to screech.

My mind is in a panic as I scream, but my foremost thought is why did I trust the flower?

After a bit of a free fall, I come crashing down.

* * *

I've taken too many plunges down here. I'm somehow okay, as in no broken bones or anything, only a nasty headache. The elevators lights are out, and touching the buttons gives a small static shock. The only way ahead is well, ahead. A musty scent fills my nostrils as soon as I leave the shaft. What little light remains from the shaft illuminates a strange mist in the air, obfuscating any vision. I try to light my hands aflame, but it doesn't work, only creating embers. A pain shoots through my head, a hint towards whats blocking my magic.

I'm surprised this is the first headache I've gotten down here, usually I'm plagued by the damn things, especially by how inconveniencing they seem to be now.

Its darker then black down here, I'm completely blind, hardly able to see a foot infront of me. I can see dim green lights up ahead. The soft tile floors feel cathartic on my abused feet, but they feel damp, each footstep has a squeaky sound.

The green light comes from a small monitor on the wall. It reads:

"ENTRY NUMBER 1: This is it... Time to do what the King has asked me to do. I will create the power to free us all. I will unleash the power of the SOUL."

There's another up ahead, a drop of water lands in my hair as I walk there, making me jump in fear. Must be a leak...

Another monitor, in fact, there seems to be multiple more.

"ENTRY NUMBER 2: The barrier is locked by SOUL power.. Unfortunately, this power cannot be recreated artificially. SOUL power can only be derived from what was once living. So, to create more, we will have to use what we have now... The SOULs of Monsters."

...There is another. My footsteps echo down the silent hall as I walk, making me nervous of what could be ahead.

"ENTRY NUMBER 3: But extracting a SOUL from a living Monster would require incredible power... Besides being impractical, doing so would instantly destroy the SOUL's host. And, unlike the persistent SOULs of Humans... The SOULs of most monsters disappear immediately upon death. If only I could make a Monster's SOUL last... "

Another, but it skips a number.

"ENTRY NUMBER 5: I've done it. Using the blueprints, I've extracted it from the Human SOULs. I believe this is what gives their SOULs the strength to persist after death. The will to keep living... The resolve to change fate. Let's call this power... 'Determination.'"

They already had human souls? This is before Frisk came down here, so did they... kill humans that came down here? Or was this after Frisk fell down here, and she helped them find a solution using those souls?

There are no more panels, I can only go forward down another long hallway, the silence down here is palpable, only my footsteps, and the occasional dripping disturbs it.

I seem to come into a larger room, revealed by a glowing red light on the door in the center of this room. The eerie red glow permeates the room, or maybe almost none of it, you never know how far darkness goes. Looking into the light accentuates my splitting headache, a reminder of why I can't make my own light. I stumble my way to the left, and into another entry.

"ENTRY NUMBER 6: ASGORE asked everyone outside the city for Monsters that had 'fallen down.' Their bodies came in today. They're still comatose... And soon, they'll all turn into dust. But what happens if I inject 'determination' into them? If their SOULS persist after they perish, then... Freedom might be closer than we all thought."

This is messed up... they... Asgore... allowed the use of dying monsters for expirements? I... don't even know what to think... Is this even real...? Asgore would never have done something like this. There's a second panel here.

"ENTRY NUMBER 9: things aren't going well. none of the bodies have turned into dust, so i can't get the SOULs. i told the families that i would give them the dust back for the funerals. people are starting to ask me what's happening. what do i do?"

Its starting to skip around the numbers again, whats the point of that? Just put it in numerical order, gah.

Feeling around the room reveals its a sort of ER, I think at least. A lot of medical cots, thick with dust... hopefully just from time. The far side of the room has a bunch of sinks, they still work, and the water they offer is nice, cool, and crisp. I get my fill, and go into a door near the sinks. Nothing, just a dead end, an empty room, a closet probably... I guess I'll head back.

The slow walk back makes me anxious, as I hear some distant creaking, getting me to freeze in place and shudder. I really hope I'm alone down here, this would be the worst time and place to run into something.

I'm back in the room with the red glow. I try to open the big door, and it does open, into an elevator with another exit. I could leave right now, but there's another path I can go down... I need to know as much as possible, and now I have an escape route, so I should be fine. I leave the elevator alone, and go to the next room, through the corridor to the right of the elevator. The first thing I see is another panel.

"ENTRY NUMBER 12: nothing is happening. i don't know what to do. i'll just keep injecting everything with "determination." i want this to work."

This can't end well. Determination, I've never heard of the stuff before, maybe some forbidden soul studies not known on the surface? Seems like heavy stuff.

"ENTRY NUMBER 13: one of the bodies opened its eyes."

Knew it.

Wait, that's really not good.

The corridor leads into what I can only think is another large room. I almost trip over something, which on second feeling is a bed. More feeling around reveals there's a lot of them here, this must have been a living quarters of sort. Oh, this is where all the frail monsters must have been kept. Maybe I'll take a nap, after I make sure everything is clear of course.

Ugh, I hope my headache goes away soon, it just feels like my head is cracked in half. A drop of water lands on my head again, almost giving me a soothing feeling, but it quickly fades.

Some more looking around the room reveals two more corridors, its getting a bit easier to see, I think my eyes are adjusting. There's another panel to the north, or what I can only guess is the north.

"ENTRY NUMBER 14: Everyone that had fallen down... has woken up. They're all walking around and talking like nothing is wrong. I thought they were goners...?"

So, the author of this was some kind of Dr. Frankenstein type deal? How does this end? Were the studies a success? Did Frisk help? I hope I get some more answers down here. I decide to go down the corridor near the panel first, hoping this place isn't much larger, I could easily get lost if not. Ugh, another fork in the road, a quick eenie-meenie-miney-moe points me to the right, which leads to a room with a bunch of giant fans. Other then a panel, its a dead end.

"ENTRY NUMBER 11: now that mettaton's made it big, he never talks to me anymore... except to ask when i'm going to finish his body. but i'm afraid if i finish his body, he won't need me anymore... then we'll never be friends ever again. ...not to mention, every time i try to work on it, i just get really sweaty... "

This is completely irrelevant, but kind of funny name I didn't expect to ever hear again. Mettaton's been in jail for something like forty years now? Turns out abusing employee's, breaking workers rights, and illegal insider stuff can do that to you. What a stooge he was. I remember Frisk's friend Alphys always had a weird disdain for him.

Going back to the fork in the road leads to another few panels.

"ENTRY NUMBER 15: Seems like this research was a dead end... But at least we got a happy ending out of it...? I sent the SOULS back to ASGORE, returned the vessel to his garden... And I called all of the families and told them everyone's alive. I'll send everyone back tomorrow. :)"

Wow, thats a nice ending. Wait, whats that about a vessel? Hopefully its mentioned in an earlier entry I just missed. There's another right after.

"ENTRY NUMBER 16: no No NO NO NO NO"

That isn't terrifying. Not at all. This is like a horror movie, but it actually happened. This actually happened...? A moment of disbelief.

Am I here right now? Am I sleeping? Am I hallucinating? Am I dead? Is this hell? Purgatory? This just... doesn't feel right... My head is pounding. I get the feeling that I'm being watched, as I shoot my head behind me, as if I'd be able to see something, but I don't.

This entire place is just giving me the creeps, my guts are saying to get out of here, but my curiosity gets the better of me. I continue ahead, greeted by another fork, with two possible doors. One straight ahead, one to my right. I decide to go right, which is a strange room. Just a straight shot to a bathtub.

Everything works, no panels, nothing interesting- wait, HOLY HOT DAMN, THAT'S SOAP! YES!. Other then a little bit of excitement that I can get in a real shower and nap, hopefully not too long from now. Nice hot showers usually help headaches. Back to the fork in the fork, and I go straight ahead, into another damn fork. While I'm reaching around like a blind person in a spike factory, I almost fall down some sort straight hole in the ground. After getting my balance, and making sure to check for holes better, I move to the right, what seems to be a staple of my maze plan down here. Right is the right way to go!

...

The next room is just a TV, with some shelves, or at least I'm pretty sure, I'm getting sick of feeling my way around, I'm probably missing all sorts of good stuff, like crates of food, soap, and shotguns.

The TV does turn on after feeling around for the power button. Wow this thing is ancient. Using the dim light, I take a look at the surrounding shelves, there's six... tapes? I think that's what they are called, I remember seeing a few in that antiques place, it was how they recorded videos back in the late twentieth century. After some fiddling with a tape numbered "1," and the playing device, I manage to get them to play.

This... sure is convenient... I almost thought it was naughty videos at first, seeing as how it started, but no, these are all some strange sort of family videos...

I'm put into a trance watching the videos, none of them are that long, but I re-watch every single one of the six while I try to understand what I'm seeing. Just when I think I'm putting all of the pieces together, I'm given new information that smashes my previous theories.

Chara, and Asriel... What happened to both of you...? Did Frisk help you? Or were both of you long dead already? But Asgore and Toriel are still kicking, so they must have died? Wait, didn't an echo flower say the queen had returned? Did they separate for something related to this? Its like an entirely different world happened down here, with people I know...

I completely ignored it, but there's another entry on the wall. A drip of water drops on the panel as I read the entry, but it no longer fazes me.

"ENTRY NUMBER 4: I've been researching Humans to see if I can find any info about their SOULS. I ended up snooping around the castle... And found these weird tapes. I don't feel like ASGORE's watched them... I don't think he should."

I sigh, my headaches really not making thinking about this easy... I debate taking the tapes with me, but I have nothing to hold them in, so it seems like it would be more a burden than anything, shame.

I'm back into the hole room, where all my mind has to do is focus on not falling into a hole. I get to focused on probing my feet, that I end up walking into a wall, head first. Great, that good for my aching head...

After orienting myself, I keep making my way around the hole, eventually reaching a panel on what I think is the opposite end of the room.

"DT extractor offline...?" I read out loud, expecting another bit of exposition. Is there something in the hole I'm not seeing? An early entry mentioned something about extracting Determination, what I can only infer DT stands for, from a human soul. Maybe... I don't want to see whats in the hole. Something about the words just make me uneasy.

Retracing my steps leads me to another room, quite a cold one at that. I can actually see a bit in here, not that that matters, a cool mist is all I can really see. I'm tempted to just leave the room, especially in my current clothing, or lack there of, but my curiosity gets the better of me as always. I can see the dim glow of panels ahead, between fridges.

"ENTRY NUMBER 19: the families keep calling me to ask when everyone is coming home. what am i supposed to say? i don't even answer the phone anymore."

I'm starting to feel bad for the guy who wrote this. Ugh, I hope these are worth getting cold over, I'm not coming in the fridge to pity some poor sap thats probably already dead.

"ENTRY NUMBER 20: ASGORE left me five messages today. four about everyone being angry. one about this cute teacup he found that looks like me. thanks asgore."

Yup. Classic Asgore alright...

"ENTRY NUMBER 21: i spend all my time at the garbage dump now. it's my element."

Wow, that's hilarious. After checking all the fridges for food, and coming up blank, I come to another empty room. A dead end closet. Again. That leads me back the room with all the beds, after making sure I didn't miss anything.

The beds are starting to look very inviting, and very safe, turns out a sanguine wood floor nightmare nap didn't get me much actual sleep. The last corridor I haven't gone down starts with mirrors, flowers, and exposition.

"ENTRY NUMBER 7: We'll need a vessel to wield the monster SOULs when the time comes. After all, a Monster cannot absorb the SOULs of other Monsters. Just as a Human cannot absorb a Human SOUL... So then... What about something that's neither Human nor Monster?"

Information I wanted is superseded by the suspicion of where its heading, as the tablets are eerily close to a set of flower pots, the plants wilted and dead.

"ENTRY NUMBER 10: experiments on the vessel are a failure. it doesn't seem to be any different from the control cases. whatever. they're a hassle to work with anyway. the seeds just stick to you, and won't let go..."

Hm... Its a dead end afterwards. Meaning other then the elevator in the main lobby, I've done just about everything. I take the opportunity to take a quick, warm shower, which starts to help my headache. As I expend nearly an entire bottle of soap, making the tub a sudsy mess, I reflect upon what I've learned, and form theories based on it...

Did the Human that was down here, Chara, die? It sounds like they were quite a problem child from the tapes, and that they had it coming, it seems like they poisoned Asgore and didn't feel bad about it. Did Asgore take the childs soul after they died? What happened to Asriel then? Something must have happened, the Asgore and Toriel I knew only ever had one child, no "Asriel" in sight.

The echo flowers from back in waterfall place said that the queen had returned, and unless Asgore had another wife at some point, that queen was Toriel, which meant they underwent a separation at some point... They were together in those tapes, so does that mean one, or both of the kids died? And that's why they separated, when Toriel was against the studying of Chara's soul? Gah, its hard to put everything together, is there something important I'm missing? What did Frisk do to break the barrier? I hope there's more answers, maybe Flowey will fill me in on the rest...

I spend too much time thinking, the water begins to grow cold, as my headache starts to fade. I dry myself on my robe, still not able to conjure fire. A slow walk back to the living quarters ends by my body plopping onto the bed, as I try to get a dusty sleep.

Asgore... What happened for you to do things like this?

* * *

For the first time since the voices started, I get an entirely silent, and peaceful sleep. I even had a happy dream, one where I went camping with mom and dad, we had fun hiking, and telling stories around a campfire. We made s'mores too... I wish the dream could continue, but I've gotten a nice and full sleep, and I need to go now.

After donning my robe, I begin to trace my steps backwards, after making my arm a torch. I can finally see the drab blues and greens of the lab, and the dust that lines the floors. A drop of water falls in my way, getting me to look at the ceiling.

My eyes widen, and I let out a shriek as I lose balance, falling to the ground in fear.

The ceiling is lined with eyeballs! The red pupils stare at me, only occasionally blinking. A strange white fleshy substance holds them all to the roof of the lab. Upon hearing my shriek, they all start to squint, and cry, making an indoor rain, as I watch in suspended horror.

I need to go. Right now.

My path alight, I run forward, as the eyes cry, making the floor a slippery mess of tears. As I turn the corner to the lobby, I almost slip, but manage to keep my footing. The ceiling is a mess of eyes, I can't stop looking in morbid curiosity. I reach the elevator, and the other path that leads out of it. I press the buttons, any that I can, trying to get it to work, but it doesn't. I feel water around my ankles, oh god, the room is filling! A small panel over the elevator control panel reads: "RESET POWER." After vainly fiddling with it again, I give up, and start to wade my way down the new corridor, hoping there's something ahead. Its hard to see, my flames are being quelled by the tears, only vainly lighting the hallways. There are two panels here, as much as I want to read them, I can't, the water is almost to my knees, if I don't get through that elevator quick, I'm going to drown in a river of tears.

I round the corner and reach the source of the madness. Its a reflection of me, a giant face bonded to the wall. I need to kill it. I intensify my flames, the rain trying its hardest to stop me. The face looks at me in horror. I throw a fireball at it, as it starts to shriek, it hurts my ears a great deal, but I continue the assault, as its face begins to melt, it shouts;

"KILL ME! FREE ME!"

I try my best to comply, my arms start to get tired as I throw and throw, my arms as magic catapults. Even as the face melts into a contorted cream skull, it still screams, the same cry.

"KILL ME! FREE ME!"

The water is above my knees, I need to hurry, I'm not going to be able to stand for much longer. The skull starts to fade, mixing a white boney substance into the water, the eyes on the ceiling unaffected by the death of the face, worse, the rain begins to intensify! The area behind where the skull was! It looks to be the power source, I don't look at it for long, only pulling the lever beneath the strange panel.

The lights begin to flicker, only dimly lighting the room, the eyes cover most of the light fixtures. I have to assume this fixes the elevator, as I wade back towards the elevator, praying to whatever can hear me that it will work. Its up to my thighs now, I need to go faster...

The panels... I need to know, I quickly pause to read them, there's only two, I have the time.

"ENTRY NUMBER 8: I've chosen a candidate. I haven't told ASGORE yet, because I want to surprise him with it... In the center of his garden, there's something special. The first golden flower, that grew before all the others. The flower from the outside world. It appeared just before the queen left. I wonder... What happens when something without a SOUL gains the will to live?"

I commit it to memory, before reading the next, the water on the screens making it hard to discern the words. The water has made it above my waist, I have to swim to reach the next, half of its screen is covered, but I manage to read it.

"ENTRY NUMBER 18: the flower's gone."

This one was unnecessary. I make it into the elevator, and rapidly begin to click the "up" button, hoping the water doesn't short it. No...

The doors begin to close, but do it painfully slowly. I can't touch the ground anymore, and i'm locked in here, as the water continues to cave in. My head is touching the ceiling of the elevator, as its doors finally close, but the water still leaks in. I take a deep breath, panicking, but theres still hope, the water shakes and the elevator begins to move upward! I continue to hold my breath, my mind racing. I can feel movement, but I have no idea how long its going to be until the doors open.

I don't want to die like this... I shouldn't have read those damn entries, those seconds could have saved me. My lungs start to buckle, begging for air. I try my best to hold my mouth closed, but reflex kicks in, as I gasp for air, and receive a mouthful of tears, some maybe of my own.

I scream, begging for air, begging for life!

Not like this!

Not like this...

My vision starts to fade, my will to fight disappearing. As my vision fades completely, I feel my body being dragged, the elevator opens, the tide of tears makes a tsunami, as my body flows out onto the ground. I start to chock up all the water, turning over to my side, then holding my self up, choking my lungs up, and eventually welcoming sweet air. My vision is beyond spotty, as I gasp for air.

That was way too close...

I spend minutes in the puddle outside the elevator, eventually getting on my feet weakly and looking to my surroundings. White bricks, grey road, buildings in the distance. I've reached the capital at last. My freedom is at hand, escape from this madhouse.

The castle in the distance, the abomination still resides on top. It stares down at me with a sickly smile. I'm not scared of it, after what I just went through, all I'm focusing on is moving forward. I start to walk along the path, a balcony looking over the city, hundreds of buildings, that housed monsters at one time.

"New Home..." I whisper, echoing what Flowey said to me long ago.

Why did the monsters willingly leave? This place seems so nice. Must have been nicer alive with the colorful folk, and the lack of otherworldly horrors...

The path leads forward, all of the buildings look ancient, but are still standing. I could appreciate it a little better if there wasn't a giant thing looking down on me while I was walking.

A straight shot, this long walkway high up off the city ground.

This is finally ending, isn't it?

Or will I have to do something more to get out of here?

Eventually, I reach a house. It looks familiar... Comfort, it looks like the same one from the ruins from the beginning. Everything ends like it begins, I guess.

In a small garden patch outside of it, is a smiling flower. He looks happy to see me. I think.

I apprehensively approach with a scowl.

"Jordan? Took you long enough." He says through his grimace. Rude.

"I-" I begin to speak before keeling over and choking a little bit, throwing up a bit of water in the ground between us, as he recoils his head back a bit, squinting, but still with a smug grin.

"Take a swim before getting here?" He asks, tilting his head as I clear my throat, readying a retort.

"You coulda told me about the drowning hazard in the lab you damn weed!" I manage to get out after coughing. "I almost died!" I look at him with a thousand yard stare.

"I... haven't been down there in a long time... I didn't know there was anything dangerous. Did it flood?" I hear a pang of empathy in his voice, but in vanishes in an instant.

I sit down where I am, a few meters away from him, keeping my guard ready in case he decides to surprise me.

I change the subject."What are all the... things down here, and why do they look like me?" I ask the question that has been most burning in my mind.

"No clue, I was going to ask YOU why they all have your ugly mug." He says, as I cross my legs, into a more comfortable sitting position. "Are we just going to play 20 questions, or what?" He says as I make myself comfortable, wringing out the corner of my robe.

"I want to know what happened down here. What did Frisk do? How did she save the monsters?" I ask him.

His smile pauses, turning into a frown.

There's a moment of awkward silence, he looks at me with a face of... longing? Or grief? Did they know Frisk?

"I'll tell you... If you can make me a promise. Is that alright?" He asks, getting kind of quiet.

"I don't like making promises. Especially to people who've, you know? Tried to _kill me_?" I tell him with irritation.

He frowns. "Please? I'll tell you anything you want to know!" He pleads desperately. Whats wrong with him?

I sigh. "I need to know what you want first! I'm not making a blind promise!" I respond, getting

a bit touchy.

He takes a deep breath...

"Take me to Frisk. I want to see her." he asks, he pleads. I... frown, and look down, letting my guard down.

I...

"Jordan...?" He asks, confused by the silence.

Should I tell him the truth? Will he lash out at me?

...

Let him if he wants too, I don't care any more.

"Flowey..." I start, looking down to the soft stone flooring.

He looks at me with longing, before I finish.

"Frisk is dead."


	10. Chapter 9 - Cyclical

THE NINTH FALL - Chapter 9 "Cyclical."

* * *

 _Somewhere else, some time else..._

"Do you guys... want something to drink?" I ask the grieving couple sitting together in my living room.

"No thanks Kassandra." Asgore responds, his voice laced with grief, his wife embracing his side, crying into his sweater. I can see the damp circle in his dopey sweater from here, shes been doing that for a while. Her sobbing is lined with moaning and pained silence. It hurts to watch. Asgore just has this blank expression, but its obvious this has hurt him just as much as it has his wife.

The news is covering this now, Gabriel is due to make a statement on behalf of the Ambassadors soon, I hope he's ready... He's always been a bit of a crybaby, and he was acting much like Toriel for the majority of last night too.

I sit down on the love chair, just spectating the older monsters. Muffet and Charlotte are here too, in the chair across from me, both are very broken up, obviously... They both look defeated almost, Muffet embracing her child on her lap, they grip each others hands tightly.

*** has been silent all day, I don't think they've said a word since this morning... They sit against the foot of the couch Asgore and Toriel are on, their legs covering their face, as they hug them tightly, watching the TV, awaiting their Fathers words.

I feel so disconnected from all of this, I have no family and friends involved in this.

Indifference in this land of tears, I feel nothing but pity for their losses. Maybe it will hit me harder soon?

"And now... The newly leading relations Ambassador has a statement prepared from both the Human-Monster relations office and the rest of the Monster community." The New Providence anchor passes over to my husband, while the rest of the room starts to watch in silence.

The camera cuts to the Ambassador office, and my Husband in his suit. His eyes have very apparent bags, and are bloodshot. "Gabriel..." I mutter under my breath. The whole world may be watching this, please don't crack under pressure honey, you can do this!

It takes him a moment to speak, his mouth open looking for the words to start. He looks down at the papers at his desk, no doubt his recited statement. One of the other men in the office has his hands on Gabe's shoulder, whispers something to him, before walking off.

"Today, August 14th 2159... was supposed to be the NATO summit in Paris, France that would most likely lead to non-Human's receiving complete equality with Humans. What was supposed to be the greatest victory for the Monster community ended up being its greatest loss..."

He takes a deep breath, before resuming.

"Last night, there was a well coordinated attack at the Royale hotel that leveled the entire building. An attack powered by hate and racism by a well known extremist group, who's names we will not be a-acknowledging." His voice ends with a crack, his hand visibly trembling as he reads the paper.

"Many of my coworkers and best friends died in that attack, genuinely good people who wanted nothing more but equality for themselves, or their neighbors, all gone in an instant. Not only did their families lose their loved ones, the entire Monster community lost their greatest heroes and role models." His voice cracks again, and his voice becomes much more personal.

"I will state though, to those people, to those who don't like us, and to those who mourn with us; know we will NOT give up, we will not give up trying to live our lives, trying to be equal, and we will not relent to this _hate._ This has done nothing to drive the Monsters apart, this mourning... will only bring us closer." The camera stays on Gabriel trembling form for an uncomfortable moment, before cutting back to the news station, as they begin to talk about the attacks in more detail. The world is generally more interested in the attack itself rather then the people who died in it.

I turn off the TV with a voice command, and the room goes back to silence.

Toriel goes back to sobbing, beginning to mutter "why must the Humans take our child away again? Why?" Asgore only returns her question with an deeper embrace. Muffet and Charlotte stay silent, but I can see they aren't holding up well.

When I got married to Gabe, he told me something interesting about the past of the monsters, saying that "they had to say some lies about themselves to cover some things up," which is something I figured, and haven't pried deeper into because I don't care all that much to be honest. But one thing was that Toriel and Asgore had a child that died at a young age... I asked Asgore about it before, and he just said something unsettling.

*** gets up, and to my surprise, wants to sit with me. I scooch over to allow them to sit with me, before they start to embrace me, and I return it. They eventually start to sob too, as I still feel like an alien in my own home. Nothing but embraces and tears.

Asgore's unsettling words echo through my mind, as I grip my child a little more tightly.

" _No easy life for a Dreemurr."_

* * *

The silence is palpable, as Flowey looks at me in shock.

"Frisk is... dead?" He asks in disbelief.

I nod, still sitting cross legged. The dusty atmosphere of New Home is unsettling, but at least I'm not alone. Not my first choice of company, but I'll take it after the last few days.

His petals droop.

"Was she that old? When do Humans die of old age?" He asks, his voice laced with hurt.

I hate to have to break the news to someone, its still painful to think about this. "She was killed in a hate attack a few years ago." I say, ending with a sigh. "Hate attack? What for? What could she do to deserve that?" He says, some irritation in his voice.

"For defending the Monsters. She was an ambassador, trying to fight for the rights of Monsters. A bunch of religious nut-jobs who call the Monsters devils decided to kill her and almost all of her friends for that reason." I remember the day after it happened, everyone came over to my house and we pretty much just all cried for a few hours. Wasn't a fun get together... "Her entire hotel was bombed at the foundations, the building never stood a chance. Hundreds dead in an instant." I continue, shaking my head. Those idiot's killed so many unrelated people just to get at Frisk.

I see his face cycle through frustration and sadness.

His face goes to one of surprise. "Her friends? Who died?" He asks in a bit of a panic.

I try to recount the names. "Alphys, Undyne, and their daughter." I start, Zelda was way too young to die a stupid death like that... "Frisk's two skeleton friends." I continue, not remembering their names. "Ezikel." I remember the weird dude, I kinda liked him, even if he was a total klutz. "...Quill..." I say the last name with some pain. I miss him more then anyone, Charlotte and her Mom were never really the same after that, I can only be glad I didn't lose dad like that too...

"Toriel and Asgore? Are they still okay?" His squeaky voice asks with some desperation.

"Yeah, they're still fine, the last time I checked." I respond with some confusion, why would he want to know. Unless...

He seems to breath a sigh of sigh of relief.

"I... need a few minutes to myself. I'll meet you in the house when I'm ready." He mutters, before retreating to the earth, leaving me alone in the grey. I think about some things for a few moments, before sitting up, leaving a damp puddle in my wake, still soaked in tears.

Its pleasantly lukewarm here, something my bare wet skin appreciates. The soft concrete, or stone, is smooth and doesn't irritate my poor feet. I gently open the unlocked door to the house, to see a foyer much the same as the house in the ruins. Someone must have really liked the layout of this house, and...

Wait! Back in that house, the journal that taught me magic mentioned the name Asriel! That means this, and that one was Asgore's house! Ha! How convenient!

I start to look around for him, starting in the living room. There's a table with two large chairs, and two small ones, the full family... The kitchen is lined with a thick set of dust, much like the rest of the house. The fridge is empty, not surprising. On the way to the other end of the house, I begrudgingly eat a few pickles. The first room is the kids room, but this one has two beds, accurately enough.

"You in here?" I ask, plopping onto the bed on the west side of the room. "Can you sit on my- uh, the other bed please?" I hear him, as he sprouts from the center of the room. "Why's it matter?" I ask him abrasively, he only looks at me sternly in response. "Fine." I relent, sitting on the other bed, my arms crossed. I really don't want him angry, at least not when I'm exhausted.

"Uh... I want to..." He starts, sighing. "Apologize, for... attacking you in the ruins." He forces out. "Why are you sorry? You didn't seem to have any problem with it until I burned you." I spit back, not really believing him.

"Its not what Frisk would have wanted, I passed judgement on you when I had no right too. Once I sent you off to New Home, I started to feel really guilty about it, realizing I was pretty much damning you to countless deaths. I tried to look for you, but I couldn't find you, so I started to wait here, hoping you'd make it." He says, looking away from me.

"You... didn't find me?" I ask, my heart stopping a bit.

He looks at me with confusion. "Nope. Thought you saw me?"

I remember Grillby's, finding the flashlight and knife at the top of the stairs. If it wasn't him, who was it...? Is there someone else down here?

"Its nothing..." I brush it off. "So, you knew Frisk, huh?" I ask him.

"Yeah, I did. She helped me out..." He says. "What about you? Did you know her?" He asks me.

"Yeah, she was my aunt." Flowey's face lights up. "You knew her that closely? She was your family?"

"She wasn't blood family, but she was as close as it could get. My dad is an ambassador, got taught everything he knew by her. Me and her weren't the closest, but I still loved her, hell, everyone loved her." I say, reminiscing on the old days. "Did he die too?"

I close my eyes. "No, he was one of the few that stayed behind to hold down the fort. Ended up becoming the head ambassador because no one else was qualified enough after the culling."

I lay back in the bed, my legs hanging off the end. I can feel dirt in this bed too, what gives?

There's some silence.

"So, I have some questions for you now." I say, eager for knowledge.

"Whattaya wanna know?" He asks, sounding depressed.

"What happened down here?" I ask. "Frisk, how did she save you all?" I continue.

"You don't know already?" He asks incredulously. "Nope, everything they taught about monsters and their history on the surface was a lie." I say with some irritation.

He chuckles. "What did they say?"

"That monsters came from the forest around the mountain. Magic is a myth, I've never seen a monster or person use it on the surface, but from what I've learned down here, monsters are extremely capable of it." I explain. "Can you answer my question now?"

"She fell down here, and managed to make everyone fall in love with her, instead of killing her. I had a scheme to stop her, but she won. She even showed me kindness after I tried to kill her too. I stayed behind, everyone else left with her." He explains, not using much detail. They tried to kill her? To get her soul...

"How did she break the barrier?" I ask. "How do you know about that?" he responds. "All the history lessons written on the wall in the rainy place. It told me everything about the war." I respond back.

"...She didn't. I used the Human souls that Asgore had collected and shattered it, as thanks to Frisk." He continues. This isn't helping...

"What happened between Asgore and Toriel? I've gathered that they had split for some reason, but exactly why I don't know. " I continue, crossing my legs, now sitting up against the wall

"After their kids died, Asgore decreed that any human that fell down here must die. With seven souls, he could become godlike, shatter the barrier, and get revenge on the humans. Toriel didn't like that, and locked herself in the ruins, hoping to save any Humans that fell down here. She didn't do a good job. Frisk was going to be the seventh soul collected." He continues, starting to sound annoyed. He's leaving a lot of details out, or doing a really bad job explaining...

"Okay, I have two more questions." I start. "Go for it." he says at me with a frown.

"Who are Chara and Asriel, and what happened to them?" I ask, intently looking for a proper answer. His eyes shoot open a bit.

"How do you know about them...?" He asks defensively.

"There were a bunch of old tapes in the lab, I watched them all. All I know is that Chara sounded like a little shit, and Asriel sounded like the complete opposite more or less. So?" I continue. Man, this bed is comfy. Hopefully this doesn't take much longer, I may take a nap afterwards.

"...Chara was the first Human that fell down here. King and Queen adopted them. Asriel was their actual kid. Chara got sick and-" I interrupt him "They poisoned themselves right? It sounded like it from the tapes." I seemed to have hit a nerve, it takes him a moment to respond as his mouth hangs open.

"Yeah... Chara and Asriel had a plan to destroy the barrier. When Chara died, Asriel absorbed their soul, and became a god. Chara's soul wanted to see the flowers of their home once more, they made it to their home, but Chara's wish was a... lie... Chara wanted to kill all the humans of their home. Asriel was in control though, and they eventually made it back past the barrier, after Asriel took a lot of damage from the Humans, who attacked Asriel thinking he killed the child in his arms." I interrupt him again.

"Child in his arms?" I ask, confused at his lackluster telling of the story. "Oh, yeah, Chara's corpse. It was all a front, a lie to Asriel. Chara was just bitter about the people who did them wrong... When Asriel made it back, he succumbed to his injuries, and turned to dust, only leaving a dusty garden and corpse in his place. Asgore made his decree the next day, Toriel took Chara's corpse with her to the ruins. And thats the end of that." He takes a deep breath after finishing. Finally, some detail...

"Did you know them? You seem to know a lot about two kids that died... Probably over a hundred years ago." I ask, as I start to put some pieces together.

"Yeah... I was acquainted with them..." He says, looking the other way.

"Okay, last question, its related. Who are you? And why are you down here?" I ask, a question that's been burning in my head for a while.

"I'm... just a ghost, a bitter old ghost. I stayed behind because there was no place for something like me up there... is that all?" He asks. He sounds sad, but not at the same time. Just... Empty.

"Yeah, that's all for now." I say, deciding to put my questions aside, probably to ask my father. "So... Wheres the way out...?" I ask a question that's... not all that important anymore.

"Finally, a question I want to answer." He says, before returning to the earth. I hear his voice call me from back at the front door. "Over here!" I follow him, saying goodbye to a potential nap. My still damp feet feel strange on the wooden floors. It looks like the way out is through the basement, same as the other house in the ruins. I see him up ahead.

"Can I ask you a few more questions?" I hear him say as I approach him at the end of the corridor.

"Get a few in before I leave this dump." I say, passing him. He has to do a weird thing where he returns into the earth and sprouts back up ahead of me in order to talk as we walk. "Why are you a killer?" He starts with a doozy.

"...Thats not an easy question to answer." I respond. "Yeah it is." He responds with little tact. "Ugh. It started a few years ago. I was just a kid in school... I may have been a bit mean at times, but never enough to seriously hurt anyone. Until... something in my mind just snapped, I murdered this kid that was bothering me, voices in my head driving me nuts. It wasn't my fault, I would never have done that." I try to think back to the day, but its hazy.

"Some other stuff happened, then I... spent a few years, I don't even know how long at this point, hell, I don't even know what year it is right now, in a sanitarium." Flowey interjects. "Sanitarium? Whats that?" He asks, fair enough, if he's only lived down here he won't know a lot about Human stuff. "A place where mentally disabled people that either have no one to take care of them, or are dangerous to society are kept. It was hell, but eventually, I escaped, and something in my unwell mind attracted me here, and that's where we are now." I finish, looking at my abused feet as I walk.

"Do you feel bad about the people you've killed?" He asks me kinda quietly.

I scoff. "Not really. Like, obviously I didn't want to kill them, but it wasn't my fault." I say with no remorse. "Okay, that's not completely true. There's one that totally deserved it, I really enjoyed killin him." I continue, with a small grin.

"Explain?" Flowey asks meekly.

I sigh. "A guy who treated me really badly at the sanitarium, and when I say bad, I mean real _bad_. Had to kill him to escape. I would explain more, but I want to get the hell out of here." I say, not wanting to think about _him_ any more.

There's a bit of silence for a while as we walk, our path overlooking the city. Its a beautiful sight, would have loved to see it in its prime.

Flowey breaks the ice. "So... Mental illness huh? You sound fine to me." Flowey asks me. "Yeah... Ever since falling down here, I've felt like myself... like normal."

"Hmm... You've gotten really proficient with magic, yes?" He asks a seemingly unrelated question.

"Enough." I say, summoning my white lined red fire, a floating fireball in each hand, and juggle them a bit. "Maybe that's why you were crazy? You may be a very talented mage that was just pent full of magical energy, and because that wasn't being released, it became sickness?" He points out.

"Wow... That makes a lot of sense, I've always been dealing with sickness my entire life..." I think about it. Would other Monsters have known that the entire time? How would they deal with it if they were pent up with magic?

"Ebott has a lot of magical energy still in it from the centuries the barrier had existed, that may be quelling the madness too. There's a real chance that once you leave the mountain, it could come back." He continues. I stop in my tracks, getting him to look back.

What if hes right? Is this insane place the only place I can't be? My mouth hangs open. I expect an abrasive comment from the flower, but I don't get one. He looks at me with a frown.

"I'm sure you'll be fine, after all, it seems like ya been through a lot down here..." He says, eyeing my up and down. "Why are you naked, again?" He asks, dumbfounded. "Clothes all burned away. A lot of crap happened with those stupid mimics, I almost died more times then I can count." I say, trying to get my mind off the last thing. "You look like hell, I believe it." He says, before we continue walking.

This path is more or less the same as the one to the house, but the castle is getting closer. The abomination on the top is silently looking down on both of us. Flowey seems to pay no mind to it. We keep walking, staying in silence, until I break the ice. "How long have these... _things_ been down here?"

"Not that long, obviously before you came down here, maybe a few months, maybe a few years? I dunno, I spent most of my time napping in the ruins, only occasionally doing some exploring to keep myself occupied. The things always tried to attack me, and they hurt, I think you should know that..." He says, as I look down at my arm, the white burn still coiling down it. "They've always looked like this, its weird. I didn't even connect them with you when I first saw you, but yeah, you're a dead ringer. You have any idea why?"

"No... I've only run into them a few times. In the swampy place, one of them talked to me, some weird stuff, but... I know almost nothing about them. They leave behind melting corpses, so they definitely aren't monsters..." I say, letting out a small yawn. "You think we're okay to just march up to that big one?" I ask.

"No clue." How reassuring... "The exit is right after the throne room. King pretty much went as far as he could, and built the castle at the dead end." The grey cityscape reinforces the feeling of a world lost to time, ruins of buildings litter my sight. This must have been so nice... They should have just stayed down here, it would have been better in the long term. I suppose they didn't know that though.

"What was life like down here? Before the children died." I ask, as I'm looking at the buildings.

"Full of hope. We thought Chara was the proof that we could get along with Humans after all. We were wrong, and from what you've said, it still may stay wrong." He has a point. We were so close... Frisk almost did it... "The people were happy, there was room to go around, biomes for every type of monster, and we were safe... Even after me and..." He lets out a deep sigh. "Its like remembering a life I never lived, its been so long." He reminisces. How old is he?

"How long ago... did Chara fall into Ebott?" I ask, trying to suss more information out of him.

"2015." He says without skipping a beat. "I'm done answering questions. Shut up for a bit." He says sternly, wow rude.

Hmm, that is a long time ago, almost a hundred fifty years ago if my math is right. Making Flowey _at least_ that old. I know monsters only age after reaching maturity if they have children, but he isn't a monster if I'm to believe the lab entries... Wait a minute, if he was created down there AFTER the kids died, how does he know so much about them? Wait, he said he KNEW them... Somethings not adding up. Trying to remember all the information given to me in the last day or so is getting difficult, it only points towards one theory.

Eventually, we take a turn inside, into a corridor. Stain glass lets in light to the otherwise dark room, its gorgeous... "What are you going to do when you get out?" he asks, as we take a walk in stained darkness.

"Probably get in a fight with the people who watch the mountain, find my parents, ask my father the questions you either aren't answering or are answering awfully, hope not to go insane again, try not to get arrested. The works." I respond.

"Will you kill again if it means your freedom...?" He asks.

"I have magic now. They don't. If they try to take me away again, they'll regret it." I sternly remark.

"Magic can't stop bullets." He says in a strange tone.

"How would you know?" I ask, squinting.

"You'd be surprised..." He says, before taking a deep breath, his eyes closed. "What then? Even after everything, you'll never live a peaceful life. Always fighting or on the run. Is your approach really the right one?" he asks, patronizing me.

"I don't have a choice." I spit back.

"...You always have a choice, did Frisk not teach you that?" He says. I scoff.

We both stop in place, the door at the end of the corridor is visible.

"We're almost there. I'll make sure the throne room is clear." he says before returning into the earth. The corridor continues to an outwards path, which leads to a choice between a large door, and another forward path. A quick look into the door shows its the throne room. Flowey is waiting for me. This... is another nice room, its filled with flowers not too dissimilar to Flowey himself. This is where he was taken from, right? The throne room is... Gorgeous, and not full of itself. Its small, with only a single, simple throne in its center, which has been overgrown with golden flowers. What was Asgore like back then? Did he try to kill Frisk too? The Asgore I know has a hard time swatting flies, let alone killing children...

"The exits right past here." He says, his expression careless. The throne room makes way to a strange cave-like room, not too dissimilar from the room I fell into, where this all started. That was maybe over half a week ago, but it feels as if I've been here for months...

"Here's the way out, have a nice life. See ya soon." He says before vanishing into the earth. I woulda said goodbye, or maybe just regular bye, but nope, good ol' uncle Flowey, rude as ever, that apologetic side of him gone completely.

I can see light in the distance, after a small room that has a notable divot in the ground, its a long corridor. The light at the end of the tunnel is real.

I'm free.

* * *

As I step outside, my body is assaulted by a noticeable chill. After my eyes adjust, the first thing I notice is that its started lightly snowing.

The sunset is a sight for sore eyes, the wind and snow isn't such a good feeling on my battered body. New Providence is visible in the distance, the many streets and sky-ways bustling as always. Behind the towering high-rises, skyscrapers, and office buildings, somewhere, is my home.

Mom... Dad... I'm coming. I just need t-

"Put your hands up!" I can hear a voice shout at me. I turn my head to the source, not intimidated. Its a security detail, a small shed is visible from behind him, its door hangs open. The guard points a gun, or maybe a taser at me. He's kind of shaky, maybe because of the cold, maybe because hes intimidated. I'm a almost naked kid, whats there to be intimidated by? Or maybe that is the perfect thing to be scared of.

I can only look at him with a dead expression, I'm not afraid of some minimum wage monkey. I close my fists, and ready fire within them.

"I'm n-not gonna give you another warning! Hands where I can see them! I don't want to hurt you!" he shouts again, like he even has a chance.

Flowey's words echo through my mind... No... I'm not wearing cuffs again, not as long as I live.

"Three! Two! One-" he doesn't get to finish.

Not even a moment later, and I'm walking past a flaming corpse, as his soul shatters to pieces in my wake. Easy.

A radio in the security shed blares, asking for confirmation. He must have said something about me, shame he won't say anything else.

The late fall night is nothing compared to what I went through days ago, I don't even feel the need to light myself aflame. The hike down the mountain is a joke, and the walk towards the city even more so. I have to be careful on my hike, I can already see police lights behind me at the mountain side, probably looking for me, I should be careful in the city to, they probably have me on their most wanted list. My soar feet crunch through the dried and cold leaves beneath.

Ugh, that may have been real stupid of me. They probably already knew it was me in there, and now they are going to search for me. Damn it... They are probably gonna expect me to go to dad's house, so should I lay low somewhere?

I'm not waiting, I can do this. I'll go there, talk with him for a bit, and then run somewhere. Get a change of clothes, get some money maybe, get out. I can find somewhere to lay low, maybe even go back into the mountain if I need too. That sounds good actually, but I'll need to find a window to get in, seeing as its probably gonna be swarming with police soon, if they send someone to look for the dude.

The forests near Ebott have been protected for a long time, even before Monsters surfaced. Wilderness is important, an attack on the century old global warming epidemic led to a lot of wilderness being protected all around the world. This place was gonna get paved over back in the day, but didn't, thankfully.

I melt my way through the fence sectioning the mountain range off, warming my feet in the molten metal, before pressing on. I should have asked Flowey if there were any clothes I could take with me, but that chance is gone. The cold is only annoying, not dangerous, so its not all too bad.

I'm not in the public hiking trails of Ebott mountainside, imprints of camping sites everywhere, well worn dirt paths, and old burnt out campfires. This place is pretty bustling all summer long, but its empty now. Good.

My first sign of civilization is a road with a electric charging station, its kind of bootleg though, you can still see the old foundations from when it was a gas station. It means I'm getting closer and closer. I could go in and steal some candy or something, but it seems like a bad idea, at least right now.

Soon, I'm walking down the sidewalk of a small suburban neighborhood. Its late enough that there's almost no one walking in the streets here. Any of the people who do see me give me strange looks, which is fair. They can look all they want, as long as they don't touch.

Eventually, I'm in the streets of the city, the hard concrete hurts my feet, but I press on. The now night sky feels oddly bright as I stop to take in my surroundings, the neon signs advertising night clubs, bars and other less savory locations almost hurt my eyes, but I don't care at this point. I'm so close to home, I can almost taste it.

So many people, so many lights. Ad's litter the moving signs, floating cars whiz on the premium lanes while the older electrics race down the other sides. I push my way through crowds on their way home from work, half of them distracted by phones or eye displays, the other half eyeing me. I take glances at the stores and establishments I pass, sights that feel new, but I don't let them distract me, until I reach a TV in a window that grabs my attention. A news cast, whatever, but there's something important. A date.

October 25th 2163.

I was in the sanitarium for two years? It felt so much longer, but the realization of time lost stings.

I missed two birthdays. I'm fifteen now, sixteen in march.

I stop fogging up the glass window, and keep moving.

As I walk, I can spot more and more people eyeing me, my clothing, or lack thereof alongside my bruised and battered feet, sometimes I can see them mutter something to a partner of friend of theirs. Normally I'd tell them to piss off, but not now, not with this little time to spare. Red and blue lights flash on the windows next to me, police vehicles speeding by, prompting my surprise after a moment for my mind to catch on to its implications, after which I jump into nearby alleyway. This continues for a while, as I make short amounts of progress in between ducking out of sight. Its times like this I curse my albino hair, the biggest dead give away that its me, I stick out of any crowd like a soar, frostbitten thumb.

As I make my way through another alleyway, trying not to get lost, I get dizzy, lose balance, and fall to my knees. My nose begins to bleed, a warm trail down my cold face.

 _I was wrong about you._

I hear a voice whisper, I quickly scrabble to my feet and shoot around to respond, but there's no one there. After doing a double take as I grit my teeth, I start to move again, a little faster this time.

 _You learned nothing._

a whisper again, as I begin to run now. I'm much more scared by this whisper in my mind then any officer. No, no, no... I'm too far from the mountain. Just run!

I'm so close, almost into the suburbs...

The whispers intensify.

 _I'll make you come back._

"What do you want from me?" I ask in desperation, as I turn a corner, my house not too far away from here. The houses begin to look familiar, but my mind is clouded, making me confused on the path. These voices... feel different, and sinister...

 _Come back, and face your reckoning._

I see it! My dads car in the driveway, hes home!

I almost lose my balance as I sprint to my front door, past the car and gardens in the front of the house.

As I run up to my front door, and rings it bell multiple times, I can hear sirens in the distance getting closer, have they found me?

Please... I know you're here, the cars in the driveway...

 _He can't love a monster like you._

The voice taunts me "YOU'RE WRONG!" I shout at it. I start pounding on the door, I don't have much time, please, oh please open up.

 _ **HE HATES YOU. HE WISHES YOU WERE NEVER BORN.**_

The voice screams in my head, it makes me scream in agony, the malice in the voice feels like a red hot needle into my temple. Enough of this, I try to conjure fire, but to no avail, the whispers in my head deny me my one strength.

 _ **YOU TOOK AWAY EVERYTHING FROM HIM.**_

I focus as hard as I can, and eventually, I manage to summon a mighty fireball into the door, but only after that can I see the police lights flaring behind me. I turn around to see multiple cars with many officers training weapons on me. This isn't happening...

 _ **DESTROY THEM, BUT IT WON'T HELP YOU.**_

Training my hands among the sides of my head does me no good in silencing these voices. I can see the officers yelling at me, but I can't hear them over the droning in my head. One of the cops approaches me with a set of cuffs, and I respond with a violent outburst of tempest of flame, killing him, and the cops behind him in an instant, and making molten mess of the cars, but I can see more cars approaching, one by one, they come to the slaughter. They melt like butter, their souls fireworks for my success, its so easy now.

I feel so cold, I feel so warm.

 _ **LOOK AT THEM, LOOK AT YOU.**_

Nothing will take me back... Never again, i'll kill every one of them that tries to stop me. Eventually, thats all I see. Black and white. Their souls to the slaughter, why do they keep throwing their lives away? All I want to see is my father, my mother, to live in peace...

After taking down another group, the screams in my mind intensify;

 _ **BEHIND YOU.**_

 _ **BEHIND YOU.**_

 _ **BEHIND YOU.**_

I quickly turn around and lash out with a whip of fire, but their soul doesn't shatter, they try to bind me, putting me in a vice grip, pulling me to the ground. They scream my name, and tell me to stop.

 _ **YOU WILL NEVER BE FREE.**_

"I WON'T LET YOU TAKE ME!" I scream, as I pump the figure binding me with more magic then I've ever mustered before. "NEVER!" I shriek, as I'm over top of the figure.

I hear the voices whisper, as my vision becomes clearer again.

 _ **Now look at what you've done.**_

I look down at my father, my hands around his neck, his body charred black. His last look at me is one of horror, as he speaks my name in shock. I recoil, crawling backwards, my hands over my mouth in shock as I watch my fathers soul shatter in front of me, I drop into the space he occupied, a wet mess of charred bloody clothing.

I killed him.

I...killed my dad...

I...

Voices behind me, I pan my head to see dozens of my neighbors, people who have all treated me well in my life, they look at me in horror, some run away when I look in their direction. They tip toe around the molten slagheaps, and charred corpses I've left behind.

Crying, I see monsters sobbing, as they try to get handfuls of dust... I killed Monsters too? I can hear helicopters in the distance, no doubt coming this way. Every sound I can hear is one of terror. The voices are gone now, they let me look at what I've caused in perfect clarity. Is this a dream? Have I really done all of this...? I don't know if I'm crying or not, I don't feel a thing. I just feel cold...

I'm so cold.

A voice washes over my mind, as I look upon my failure.

 _ **The worst nightmares are those of the waking world.**_

I try to stand, but can't get off my knees. The monsters spectating me almost all scatter. A spotlight shines on me, a helicopter above. I have no will to fight left. I start to feel warmth, making me look down.

My torso is riddled with bullet holes, my robes in tatters. I lie down next to the remnants of my father, hugging my legs to my chest. I give up. Eventually, I lose strength.

I close my eyes.

I feel my body being dragged, as my senses fade.

...

...

Flowey... You were right, I should have listened.

I should have...

I...

* * *

My vision cuts from black, to Flowey speaking to me from the center of a room.

"Its not what Frisk would have wanted, I passed judgement on you when I had no right too. Once I sent you off to new home, I started to feel really guilty about it, realizing I was pretty much damning you to death. I tried to look for you, but I couldn't find you, so I started to wait here, hoping you'd make it." He says, looking away from me.

Where... What...?

I'm... back underground...? In New Home? I'm in the children's bed. I look at my hands, and then quickly pat my chest, looking for bullet holes, but no... Theres nothing... My hands shake, my whole body is quivering, I start hyper ventilating...

"Whats your problem? Oh... I remember now, told ya to be careful, you already went and died? That wasn't even a day ya idiot." Flowey tells me snidely, but I hardly even pay attention. I'm too busy shaking, tears start to leak out of my eyes, as I break down. Bawling, I scream as I grip the sides of my head, remembering what I did. I fall to the ground as I let out shrieks of terror, and convulse.

I don't see it, but Flowey's cocky grin slowly turns into a uneasy frown.

My screams echo the house, but eventually, I fall into a very uneasy sleep.


	11. Chapter 10 - Ash

THE NINTH FALL - Chapter 10 "Ash."

* * *

The ruins of New Home feel safe, safe for a monster like me.

The dusty grey buildings still stand, stubborn to the flow of time. Cracks flow down their sides, chunks of some missing, the debris visible in the streets below. I can't help but wonder what this looked like in its prime. A community of Monsters, with no fears, no racism, and no violence... It must have been paradise. Why didn't they stay? Why did Frisk even want to go back up there...?

I sit on the ledge near the house, looking upon the city, my legs dangling as I lose myself in absentminded thought. I think about what I miss. My parents, Charlotte, good food, books, video games, ice cream, my bed, swimming, my clothes, grandma and grandad, all things I haven't had for years now. Now that things have been peaceful for me for a bit, its almost all I can think about now. When I was surviving on the way here, that kept me busy. Now, its all I do.

I sigh, before lying down on the ground behind me. The cave ceiling is far, far above me, and somewhat smooth, did they ever have problems with stalactites? I wonder how New Home stays alight, there are a few lamp posts around the streets, but it doesn't explain how the city stays alight. Magic something, probably. I wouldn't describe it as dim as here, more like just the start of a sun set.

A turn of my head reveals a curved sight of the giant mimic, still stuck to the top of the castle. It looks down at me with a sick smile. It doesn't scare me anymore, except the parts of it that share my complexion.

I've been with Flowey for almost a week now.

The night I left, and subsequently loaded back to new home was a stressful night. I slept for almost a full day, the first time in years that I've gotten a safe, sound, and most importantly, guaranteed sleep, with the only fear being Flowey trying something. He surprisingly didn't have much issue in watching over me. Is that just a thing down here? Something tries, sometimes successfully, to kill you, and then they like you when it doesn't work? That's apparently what Frisk went through... it sounds like a made up story, its hard to believe its true...

He explained, or more properly, I listened to the explanation of the curse I now possess. I have the power to set points in time and go back to them, kinda like time travel, but not really. Its like that, but its not going back to the past as much as it is ripping everyone back to the past, all their memories taken from them up to that point, their deaths or progress undone. I still don't entirely get it, but I don't think I have the balls to toy with it. Flowey gave me the crash course, but didn't let me ask many things about it that didn't involve how it worked. As usual, things don't add up, Flowey's explanations remain vague and filled with holes, either hes full of shit, or hes hiding stuff from me. I don't know why hes being so secretive, what could there be to hide...?

"Its not a gift, Its a _curse_... You'll never feel the sweet relief of death, its so easy to want it until you are on the edge, where even the slightest thought of regret will bring you back... Over, and over, and over..." I repeat Flowey's first words about it, as I shake my dangling legs over the edge.

I went and explored some of the ruins of new home, nothing but a bunch of actual dust and furniture, at least from what I explored. Some of the houses belonged to a group of separatist Monsters that stayed behind even after the barrier was broken. They all left though, Flowey told me he would mess with them on occasion, scare them for giggles.

I've mostly been looking for books, I've found a few. Some about the architecture and design of New Home, some history stuff, and what I was excited for; fiction. There was some alright stuff, but most of it is poor dribble. I can't be too mad, if I wrote something it would probably be awful too. Maybe I should anyways... Would help pass the time, that's for sure. Flowey can only call me an idiot so many times in conversation before it stops being funny. He can be interesting to talk too when he wants to talk, but most of the time he doesn't even bother...

Is this just my life now?

Do a whole shit ton of nothing? Talk with a flower that doesn't even like me? Until I die as an old dustbag? Will I even have it in me to die...? Just loading back and having to do this all over again...?

I don't know what I'm going to do...

I can leave whenever I want, but the voices, and by extension, my volatility come with it. My excursion to the surface was a disaster, but it was only a vision of what could have been... Flowey assures me that my father is okay, along with the few dozen innocent and not so innocent ones I also killed. I was pretty hysterical about it, no matter how much he assured me, and it still makes me antsy thinking about it...

I suppose its not all that bad here, there's a lot of room for exercise and exploration, the beds are comfy, its been completely safe, temperature is nice, and I have someone else to talk too, or talk at, rather. I have a feeling he's only with me as a sense of pity though... Maybe because I'm Frisk's family?

Only thing that gets on my nerves here is the giant mimic on the castle. It stares at me insistently, I feel as if any moment it could jump down at swallow me alive.

I scooch back, and get on my feet, making sure not to fall over the ledge. Its like a thirty meter drop, and even though death isn't an issue anymore, pain still exists, and I'd like to avoid either if possible.

It still boggles my mind. Its like some sort of super power, some fantastical even compared to magic... Death just isn't a problem anymore, that's insane to think about... And its not even fully death protection, its almost like save states in games... Its not as fast, I tried to do a load the other day, and it took a lot of tries and intense focus to even go back five minutes. I'll try to practice it, but every time I've tried, I've gotten a bad headache... I asked Flowey for help, if there was some technique I was missing, but no, he didn't want to tell me.

"Figure it out your own, _nenenenene_ idiot!" I mock his voice as I walk back towards the kings house, letting loose a yawn on the way.

My makeshift shoes make a soft clatter on the ground as I walk, my feet relatively comfortable. I found some old Monster clothes out in town, fashioned them into working garments for myself, and some weird shoes I had to work down to my size. I don't wear the robe anymore, its too hot with both the clothing and the robe here. Stuff is cozy though, even though it makes me look like some sort of weirdo. So nothing has changed, really.

Soon enough, my new abode comes into sight. Flowey seems to be waiting for me out front.

He looks disinterested. "You took a while." He remarks sarcastically.

"You don't have to wait for me." I say, walking past him. I hear him start to say something else, but I close the door to the home before I hear his words.

I head right into the kids room, and plop onto what I think was Asriel's bed. I _was_ sleeping in Asgore's room, in his huge bed, but I woke up from a nightmare and accidentally turned the bed to a crisp. Luckily it didn't set the house on fire, but now I have to sleep in a bed way too small. Toriel's room was more a closet then anything else, unlike the reverse in the old house.

My sleep schedule is completely whack down here, no sense of day or night, none of the clocks down here work either. I just sleep whenever, then go do whatever else for some amount of hours...

"Hey idiot, I was talking to you." I hear a squeaky voice as I try to sleep.

"And? I'm trying to sleep, bugger off." I murmur, turning on my side to face the wall.

"I'm going back to the ruins." He says. I turn back towards him. "Like, right now?" I ask nervously. "Yeah, I'm checking to see if any more idiots fell down. I'll be back tomorrow morning." He informs me.

I sigh a breath of relief.

"See ya." He says, before retreating to the earth.

I guess I'm alone for a little while...

Just sleep... just sleep...

* * *

Nightmares, but of a different kind.

Instead of reliving horrors done to me, I'm reliving my fathers death at my own hands.

His face of terror.

He speaks my name in confusion, as he burns away.

They aren't as bad as the old nightmares, but they still hurt.

I have to keep reminding myself, he's okay. He's still waiting for me...

You'll have another chance, _Little A_...

How long has it been since he called me that? Its been too long... since I was a young kid? Even Frisk called me it sometimes...

The shower here is warm, and well made. There was a few saunas down in the city, but I couldn't get them to work, as much as I wanted too...

Unlike the bathroom in the ruins house, this one actually has a toilet too. Compared to this rooms simple, yet pretty set up, the toilet seems very sloppily installed, and pretty poorly made, all things considered. Not that I even need to use it, magic food really doesn't pass through you, not at all.

Drip, drop...

Soothing warm water helps to wash away my worries, or at least it tries too.

I caress my skin, suds aplenty. I'm still as jumpy as before... I don't think that's going to go away, at least not any time soon.

My mind keeps going back, back to the question...

Can I really be happy down here?

I don't have a choice, do I?

What if Flowey leaves me?

…

Without him, without _someone_ , this is just another cushioned room. It wouldn't be long till even this supposed freedom felt like a lie. Solitary confinement... No revenge or survival to motivate me...

I'll... have to talk with him about it.

I just hope he comes back. If he doesn't? I guess I'll have to go back to the ruins. All the way back, just to see him... Would he even come back? Or would it just be a sappy conversation..?

The shower runs cold.

I dry off, fire a very effective means. My clothes feel good on my clean skin. _Comfort_ , but its hollow like _all_ comfort down here, it only serves to remind me the people I'm missing, the life that's passed me by.

Magic pickles for breakfast.

I really need to ask him for other things to eat, I would probably puke up my guts, if I had any.

After eating, I take a leisurely stroll around the city. Looking for books mostly, I've explored building for a few days now, and I'm not even a tenth of the way done with the city. I always had a fascination with urban exploration, there are so many abandoned city-scapes around the world, and videos of people exploring those ruins was always oddly chilling, but interesting at the same time. Its much the same here, its kinda unnerving to be in so many empty buildings. I've been through worse, this doesn't really scare me. But I know what does.

I keep looking back up, nervously at the giant mimic on the castle. Its eyes peer into me, unshifting. I hate the damn thing, if only I could-

I think I know my goal for today.

I'm gonna go kill that thing.

You know what? Flowey's right, I _am_ an idiot. That mimic may just be the cause of the voices! If my idea that the two are correlated has any merit. I should have done this right away!

I'm giddy with glee as I walk back through the city, back up to the Kings house. I haven't explored the castle either, this'll be a real treat!

This is how you combat boredom, right? Set goals for yourself?

Down the street, up the stairs, on the perch, to the house.

I'm here, and there's a Flower waiting for me.

I put on a smile. "Everything clear in the ruins?"

"Same as always. You were the first in over half a decade, I don't expect to find any, but I don't need a dead child on my conscience." He mutters. "All of the Ebott mountain range is fenced off now, may be a part of the reason why." I say, taking a seat near him.

There's a moment of silence as we just stare at each other, I try to keep forcing the smile.

"Smiles don't look good on you." He says through a squint.

My smile turns into a slight scowl, as I squint back at him.

"There you go! Thats better!" He says with a fake smile of his own, before giggling.

* * *

"So, you find any good books?" Flowey asks me, as I lounge in the living rooms giant reading chair, Flowey sprouted on the other end of the fireplace, he looks into the fire with contemplation.

" _Mella-Rona, Jokes 4 Kids_ , _Snowdin Ultimate Cross-Word Collection_ , _Purple Hot Passion_ , and _The Architecture of New Home_." I read through the titles of the books I found today and yesterday.

"Read all of em. Err, except the purple one..." He sheepishly ends. "What? Don't like erotica?" I say, fanning through the pages of the book. Actually isn't that poorly made, all things considered...

"No... what? Do you read that crap?" He asks, looking the other way somewhat.

"Nah, not my style." I lie. Read it all this morning, heehee. I clear my throat, before starting a dramatic reading. "' _Oh Baris! I love the way your tendrils feel! Ravish me!' My lover moans, causing me to intensify my assault, before inserting-_ " My dramatic reading is halted by Flowey violently grabbing the book with a vine, and throwing it into the active fireplace. I can't help but snicker at his embarrassment. He looks at me all flustered like, is he blushing? Hah!

I get a shit eating grin going "want me to try to find one about pollination? Would that be more your style?" I lean forward in the chair to ask him.

"I should throw you in the fire too." He exclaims, aggravation present, to which I smugly respond "go for it, its my fire anyways."

I should really watch my mouth sometimes.

Second shower today.

" _Nenenene, I'm Flowey! I'm a weed that can talk, and take jokes too seriously!_ " I mock his squeaky voice while washing ash and soot off of justice, I guess.

I'll need to wash the clothes too, all pitch black from the chest up. Ugh, at least those were magic-proofed too, or I'd be out yet another pair of garments.

I have to constantly get out of the shower to go look in the mirror to see how much of the soot I've gotten out. Gotta be careful about it, to not to slip and crack my skull open. Not cuz I'm afraid of the pain, or dying, but because Flowey would never let me hear the end of it.

I still got a bunch under my eyes... I remember I had a bit of a phase where I'd wear eye shadow when I was eleven, thought it made me look dark and mysterious. It didn't last long, even Charlotte said it made me look dumb, and that girl has a hard time insulting stale bread.

Eventually, I'm clean. Again. Still feels nice, I can't be too mad about this. Maybe I can just consider it catching up on the past few years.

I can't find Flowey in the house, so I decide to check on the garden. Sure enough, that's where he is, smug as ever.

"Aww, I liked you better when I couldn't see your face." He asks, he says, looking to the roof.

I decide to ignore his prods, instead looking up to the roof with him. I see it, the mimic on the castle, still staring down on us.

"I wanna go kill the big thing." I get straight to the point, I point at it.

"Go for it. Don't blame me if it eats you." He says.

"How should I get up there?" I ask him, looking towards the castle.

"Try jumping." he tells me with a stupid grin.

"Try jumping off a cliff." I spit back at him. "Thanks for the help, I'll go do it myself." I say, making sure to pick up some dirt with my shoe and kicking it in his general direction. I start to make my way to the stairs of the house, but Flowey trips me as I get through the door, I turn around to give him a piece of my mind as I hear him giggle, but hes already vanished.

"Stupid weed." I grumble as I make my way to the castle, trying to eyeball a way to climb up the castle, the abomination taunting me with its dead eyes. Its goddamn huge, how am I supposed to kill it? I doubt a bit of fire is gonna cut it. Hmm... The castles many corridors and empty rooms are accessed by a small door in the back of the morgue, bunch of coffins, Flowey told me not to open any, like I even wanted too anyways.

The walk there is pretty standard, same view of the city I've been used too. This path would be a good place to jog, I should keep that in mind. The dark hall with stained glass is still hauntingly gorgeous, it shines a dark orange light on my form, I wonder what purpose this room served, if any? The path to the throne room is very bland, and not fitting of a kingdom, but the throne room itself is also really nice, more due the overgrown nature of the room. It smells nice, but the flowers are a bit annoying, much like their alive brethren. Their seeds stick to my legs, and don't let go easy. I decide to also walk to the exit, just very slowly.

The light at the end of the tunnel is there, daylight visible. Freedom is close, yet so far. I start to get closer to the light, the air getting colder, but I swear I hear a whisper in the back of my mind, getting a small yelp out of me, and making me double back with haste. Once I'm back in the throne room, I start to breath deeply, a cold sweat formed. I take a few minutes to calm down, before continuing, a bit sadder. The other corridor besides the entrance to the throne room continues to the morgue, and there coffins alright have a bunch of names engraved into them, "Chara" being the only one I recognize. My curiosity gets the better of me, and I open it. There's nothing though. Six other coffins, these ones I won't check, strange, they don't even have names.

This is laid out really strangely, the spiral staircase leading through the morgue room is the only way aside from the elevator before the stained glass dark room to get to the throne room from any part of the castle. I know the main entrance to the castle is out in town, and was something I was going to check out, but the front entrance was locked. So this is the only way into the greater castle.

The spiral stairs break to big hallways. I spend a few hours exploring the many corridors and rooms, getting lost along the way many times, but eventually I get my bearings. Most of the empty rooms just looked like office type deals. There was a huge dining hall and kitchen on the base level. Apparently it was free to get in every night, and the King would always be with his subjects. They would do all sorts of stuff in here, parties, ballroom dances, and even weddings officiated by the king and queen themselves. Why is Human monarchy across history so lame compared to this? The only thing I can recall like this is the British queen of the early 21st century, she would just randomly show up to weddings when people would jokingly send her an invite, much to their surprise. Asgore would probably do that for literal anyone who even just wanted to _see_ him. Yup, that sounds just like him to me.

After I'm done exploring, I decide to go back to the spiral staircase, which leads to the upper levels of the castle, the windows up here are just holes, showing a good view of New Home from above. A nasty fall, but it probably wouldn't kill me knowing long falls here. Always a convenient bed of flowers to break a fall when you need it. I can even see far into the distance, Hotland glows a dark orange, Waterfall a dark blue, and maybe even Snowdin is visible, I'm not sure. Its crazy how large this cavern is, and how well it manages to stay open without collapsing. The Core stretches out from the center, tall enough to reach even ceiling of the underground, maybe that helps everything from caving in?

The Core, and most of Hotland are the only places I didn't explore. Flowey says the Core is filled with mimics, and so is a large amount of Hotland. Sounds like fun.

As I continue around the upper levels, I start to hear a pulsating noise, probably the big pile of fat resting on the castle. I'm surprised the fat ass mimic hasn't collapsed the whole damn place by now. Maybe the castle is built with magic. Magic supports. Magic bricks. Magic wood. Magic magic. Its kinda cold up here, I definitely would feel it more if I weren't properly clothed now. I'm glad to have shoes again, and actually really good quality ones too. One of the few graces Flowey did grant me was healing my feet. Healing magic is a hell of a thing, it didn't completely take away the pain or the swelling, but its no longer a major hassle anymore. I asked him to teach me the magic, but he didn't want too. Of course. Just like with food magic, healing magic would totally transform the world. Sure would be nice if we had the healing magic, that food magic, and that magic magic up on the surface!

Or how about magic shoes? Are these even made with magic? I wouldn't be surprised. This sort of stuff like hand crafted shoes and clothing would fetch a fortune up on the surface, they could sell this stuff for loads if Monsters weren't just generally loaded already, at least when they first came up. Turns out having gold as your primary currency meant a lot when they went up with the surface with literal tons of the stuff. Can't imagine how much worse things would be for them if monsters came up without any wealth, turns out all the money in the world runs out fast when your dealing with racial subjugation...

Ooh, some of the beasts appendages are sticking through these windows. Heinous tendrils, or tentacles of some sort. They squirm around, all gross looking. I start to throw some lazy fireballs at it, which seems to work, getting it to flail around restlessly, before eventually melting into a pile of white goop. Gross. I need to find a way to get up on the roof to melt it a bit more. I climb out on the cill of the window near the appendage I melted, and stand outside of it, looking for something to climb on. I try not to look down, I may not be in danger, but its still hard for instinct not to take effect. I manage to get a hold of a nearby butrice, and climb up onto the tiled roof. Its just a white mess up here, I'm luckily on the other side of the beast, so I don't have to look it in the eye while i'm melting it. I start to walk forwards, my fire prepared, but I slip a bit on the tiles, but manage to regain my balance before falling backwards. I look back off the castle, seeing how high up I am. I'm not afraid of heights, but this still makes me uneasy...

I start to get to work, summoning barrages of fire, they start to melt the being down to its bones. It stays strangely quiet about it all, but still squirms. The being seems spiked onto the castles highest point, how did it get up here?

My cleanup duty feels like just that, like I'm cleaning up a mess more then I am killing a giant abomination. Eventually, after a lot of melting, and making sure not to step in any of the goop, I climb up further, getting to look the beast in the face. It looks strangely sad... as it looks at me with this pained expression. Knowing these things, it'll cry and make me slip off the damn castle, so I aim for the eyes first.

It takes a few minutes, but eventually it stops squirming. This is exhausting... I take a small break to catch my breath, and immediately regret it, when the being lashes out with a tendril left to its side, it swipes along my left side, knocking me off the castles roof with great force, as I scream in surprise, the pain immediately evident.

After a few stressful moments, my skull hits the pavement with a meaty crunch.

* * *

"Try jumping." I say to the kid with a smirk, do you think I know a damn thing about climbing?

"Try jump-" they start, before their pupils dilate, they lose balance, and fall to their knees. Oh, I remember now. They died. Again. I watched them fall off the castle. It was kinda funny actually, woulda ate popcorn if I could.

They breath like a vent. "F-Flowey... Whats wrong... It still hurts..." they say in a panic, a thick sweat already developing on their brow.

"Why did you follow my advice? When I said 'try jumping,' that was a joke, You idiot." I say, this charade doesn't interest me.

No response, their breathing grows heavier. I may have felt bad the first time, but I won't this time.

"Being a little bit... Melodramatic, arentcha?" I ask, they reach to their left shoulder with their opposite arm, and begin to rip their clothes off. "If you're going to strip, I- oh... That's... not normal." I say, flustered at the sight in front of me.

Their bare form has a large lash over their stomach, a large white burn, the veins under it swollen. The burn is dimly glowing, what happened? That wasn't there before, was it...?

"This is where the thing hit me..." Jordan tells me. "I've been hit by mimics before... The first time wasn't all that b-bad, but the second time was really damn bad..." They get out between deep breaths.

Back when I got hurt by one of the damn things, yeah, it hurt, but no white burn type stuff. "I feel it again... Its going to get really messy. I need to g-" The human interrupts themself with a gag, as they puke out their guts on the ground. After sprouting up a bit farther away, to avoid getting spew on me, I tell them "just... get to the bedroom, I'll go get some stuff." I say, before ducking to the mothers bedroom, which is basically just a closet now. I grab a towel with a vine, and bring it to the kids room.

Why am I doing this? Why am I helping them?

Jordan just went ahead and passed out onto the farther bed... Why do you do this? I've told you so many times not to stay on that bed... whatever, it doesn't matter. I throw the towel up onto the heaving mass of flesh. Ew... They started bleeding. Thats uh... a lot of blood. It stains the drab sheets of the bed, and makes me a bit mad, while the sound of their broken breathing, and heaving fills the room. Its quite evident they are in a lot of pain. "Uh. You okay?" I ask them a stupid question. "What does it look like?" They get out with a large coughing fit afterwards, and a small scream of pain.

"Can-" they start, between a long heave "you heal me?" They ask before turning to their side, I get a good look at their face, its leaking blood from every hole, making their face a mess of red rivers. "Let me try something." I ask, before I sprout up closer to them, and try to focus healing magic on the large burn, I can hardly even see if with all the blood...

An injury that persists even after a load? Is that even possible?

"Its not working." I say earnestly. The magic, a high level healing spell, usually dissipates burns in seconds. I can only guess this is some really strong magic causing these burns.

They sound hysterical "are you sure!? You ca-" Violent coughs of blood constantly interrupt any attempt to talk completely. I rub my face on the sheets, getting the blood coughed up on me nice and off. "How long is this going to last?" I ask as they keep convulsing, I do NOT want to deal with a sickly child.

* * *

I'm dealing with a sickly child.

Ugh.

Jordan's been a wreck for the last few hours now, there was a lot of bleeding, like a dumb amount, we went through almost ten different towels, I had to go into the city to find more after we ran out. I've had to help them limp to the shower to get washed up on two different occasions, while they struggle to even stay on their feet. Got some bandages applied on the burns, and I helped them get dressed into some of Chara's old clothes, after they promised they wouldn't rip those.

They've just been struggling since then, like a really bad fever. High temperatures, violent coughs, weakness of the body, and a few other nasty things. Reminds me of magic sickness, monsters, usually younger ones would get them when they weren't using their magic enough, or too little. Getting pent up or drained usually did bad things to you, not too much unlike what Jordan is going through now. They are sleeping right now, if uneasily, their still rough breathing a sign of their life. Their usually pale skin is even more so now, almost like they are a ghostly apparition.

In the short time i've known Jordan, I've known a very stubborn and arrogant human. They don't like to listen if it isn't something they want to know, even if its advice, even after coming back from their murder trip. God, why am I still even here with them right now? I should be back in the ruins, making sure no more kids fall down here, kids worth saving. I could just leave now, they wouldn't be able to stop me, hell, I don't think they would care either way. No, they would probably care up until I was done pampering them through their sickness, their sickness caused by their own stupidity.

Their sleeping form. Their white skin hides red eyes, a being of dust and blood, something they revel in.

I feel so tempted.

I can steal their soul right now.

A sleeping soul is vulnerable for the taking. If... if I could get seven, I can become myself again... Mom and Dad are still alive, I could go back to my old life...

No! Frisk... she would be ashamed of me...

I promised her I wouldn't go back to my old self, the _old_ Flowey...

But that doesn't mean I have to take care of Jordan, does it? Frisk would understand, right...? Jordan is Frisk's family... Even then, that's only if I still believe that Jordan is her family, let alone even knew her. I think they are lying to me about some things already, like their name. Every time I address them with their "name", they always seem to be surprised when I'm talking to them. I'm torn from my thoughts, as "Jordan's" breathing becomes heavier, and they start tossing in their sleep. A pained expression on their face, they open their eyes, but the pupils roll back into their head as they go limp.

I open my mouth to say something, but stop, I take a morbid curiosity in their pained expressions. Eventually, their breathing stops, and what started as curiosity, starts to become unnerving.

"Jordan?" I ask, after a moment passes.

"Human?! Wake up!" I start to get worried, not breathing for this long is really bad. Dying isn't the thing that's bad, dying and not having a reset means awful things for me. Frisk... No, I... I'm supposed to be taking care of them. They may be an ass, but they aren't a bad person... But they are! They went up and murdered so many people, and they aren't even sorry about it! The only thing they regret is killing their father!

"Please, wake up!" I start to shout, each passing second grows more and more worrying, their sustained stillness causes me to to sprout up closer to their head, my vines propping my vulnerable stem up from the ground. "Please... I'm sorry I tried to kill you before, okay?" I start to get really scared. Why... why do I care so much? I should hate them! Why do I care? WHY?

I summon my vines to strangle the human, to make sure they can't wake up. But I can't muster the willpower to touch them. Half of my mind is saying I hate them, I hate them so much, the other half is saying I care about them, that I _need_ to care about them. Why is this so confusing?

"You can't lose determination. Come on, you can fight this." I say, looking down, my confusion starts to halt, I realize the source of my dichotomy.

On their bed, in their clothes.

A window to the past.

But they aren't filled with _hate_ like _they_ were.

Jordan is just misguided. I see in them, flashes of a good person who just got some bad luck in life, they aren't over the edge... I hear how they've talked about their family, their friends, how much they miss them. They can laugh, they can joke, they can cry... They need help, not damnation.

They're just like me.

They're just like them.

They're just like _her_.

So please...

"Wake up..." I murmur, my head low. "I don't want to lose another person like you, not again..."

I hear a sharp breath. "I'm still here." They mutter very weakly tone, looking up at me as I stare in surprise. "You're... okay?" I weakly ask.

Their face is laced with exhaustion. "Not really. May have just died for a few seconds, may have just been sleeping, I dunno." They respond, their tone of voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm... glad you're okay." I say calmly, sighing a deep breath of relief.

A sight that's too familiar, a reason that makes sense to me now.

"Why are you helping me?" They ask, making me do the same mental gymnastics again. "I've been nothing but a jerk to you... and here you are going above and beyond for me." They say, looking away from me, towards the ceiling, ending with a light cough.

"I don't really know." I say after a short moment.

They form a weak smile, "I... think I do. Its because I remind you of Chara, right?" they say, their tone consistent. "What? I-" they speak over me "I'm sorry I'm not Frisk, or Chara. I'm my own person, as crappy as that person may be." they say, seemingly content.

They weakly place a hand on my extended vine. "Asriel... don't pity me, I don't deserve it." They say, I can hear sadness in their sickly voice.

I give a weak smile. "It was that easy to find out who I was?"

"Yeah... It was." they say, punctuated by a small laugh, before another small coughing fit. "If you don't want to talk about you and Chara, that's fine, I understand if its a touchy subject..." I can't find the energy to respond. They get into a bad coughing fit, before continuing. "I have one last selfish request of you, Asriel. Please take care of me for a little while longer and then, after I get better, go back to the ruins, forget about me." They ask me.

"What would you do afterwards?" I ask meekly.

"When you were calling to me, I was having a dream. Someone, _something_ told me to go to the Core. Its where these mimics are coming from, its the source of my madness outside these caverns. I just know it, I need to go and find out whats going on there. If I can stop it, I'll be able to leave. If I don't, I'll be stuck down here the rest of my life." They explain. "I can't let you do that alone, Jordan. I kinda owe it to you." I tell them.

"You don't owe me anything." they respond sternly.

"I tried to kill you!" I respond, upset.

"You _tried_ to kill me to save others, others who deserved mercy more than I did. And you were right, I killed so many people when I went up to the surface." They say, striking a good point. "Let me do this, Asriel, this is a personal score. It doesn't involve you." The silence hangs in the air for a moment, while I try to collect myself.

"You asked what Chara was like... right?" they stare at me attentively, with a frown. "Chara was mean, deceptive, manipulative, and an overall sociopath." They look the other way as I talk "But... they had this genuine _hate_ inside of them I... just don't feel in you. Maybe its because Frisk changed my outlook on life after she saved me, but I don't think I'm wrong here. When you killed, it was either sickness or for survival, right? Chara wanted to kill purely for revenge and pointless _hate_."

"..." They open their mouth to say something, but no words come out.

I grip their hand back. "I want to see this through. _Please_ let me help you Jordan." I say, with finality. My outlook clear.

They look back at me with a big dumb smile, tears in their eyes.

"Thank you... Thank you so much..." They manage to get through their tears.

I will make amends for my mistakes, and help you mend your mistakes.

"Now come on Jordan you big idiot, you need to sleep..." They seem to ignore me, instead laughing. "My name isn't Jordan. That's a dumb lie I came up with on the spot..." They say, looking up again.

"Why lie about your name? Whats that even get you?" I ask with genuine curiosity. They laugh. "Cuz I forgot, also you were really scaring me... The last time I had heard my name was like many months prior, when I was still insane..." They speak with melancholy. "My dad called me it, moments before he died at my hand. That was the worst way to find out again..." She takes a deep breath.

"Ash... My name is Ash." She says, looking at back at me with renewed vigor.


	12. Chapter 11 - Vigor

THE NINTH FALL – Chapter 11 "Vigor."

* * *

 _Somewhere else..._

Add a bottle to the pile.

Liquid luck, I need it, all of mine ran out.

The dim light of the TV illuminates the dark room with a blue glow, as news stations spew worthless crap. Occasionally, the screen cuts to white, and I get a reflection of my ruined form. A constant reminder of my pain.

Another call on the phone, its ringing hurts my ears. They need me at work, but I have no reason to go anymore. No purpose...

They can find someone else who still gives a damn, someone with drive, someone with things to lose...

A glassy impact, add another bottle to the pile.

All my hard work for nothing.

Wife's gone. All my friends are gone. Daughter... Oh my daughter... Now shes gone too.

She was my reason for going on, for slaving away, to try and work towards the day I could get her freed, and take care of her myself. But I took too long, huh?

Police came to my door last night, informed me Ash killed again. Escaped from her holding, killed her caretaker, what a nice man that Gregory was, I hope his poor soul can forgive her, in whatever afterlife exists... Then she escaped into the mountain ranges of Ebott. They've been looking for her the past week, with no luck. They don't expect to find a child anymore, they expect to find a corpse.

She's dead too. My daughter is dead, isn't she...?

Add another bottle to the pile.

Its all hiccups and tears now.

Is there any hope? Could my daughter survive in that wilderness? When are they going to bring her corpse to me? When will that very last shred of hope disappear? A candlelit fire in a blizzard, what will I do after it goes out?

Frisk, my departed family, what would you have done? What would you have said to me? How would you have fixed this mess...?

I reach for another bottle, but they're all gone.

I get up, and stumble towards the glass mountain I created, a pile of glass bottles. I get every last drop from every bottle, before collapsing back down on my couch. Its dark, none of the daylight reaching inside. Or is it night by now? I don't even know...

Once I sober up, later tonight, I'll go out and buy a couple more cases. Maybe I should just sleep until then... I don't want to have to think about anything anymore.

My wallowing is interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.

Its the police, isn't it? Come to give me the bad news... They can go, I don't need to know what they have to say. Just leave me alone...

"Gabriel? Gabriel, are you in there?" I hear my mothers worried voice on the other end of the front door.

Mom...

I get to my feet again, and stumble my way through my living room. I reach the door, and with my shaky hands, and manage to open the door.

My mother and father, they are both happy to see me, but only for a split second. The sunlight makes me squint, hurting my tender eyes. "Gabriel! What happened to you?!" My father exclaims in shock, while my mother is speechless at the sight of me.

I try to say something, but I can't. I just turn around and stumble back into the house, leaving the door open. I flick the lights on, making me squint again. "My god! Gabriel what happened?" My mother asks me, very loudly, as I push some bottles away with my feet, trying to make room around the seats so my parents can sit down. I ignore their questions until then.

I plop back down on the couch, my parents both looking at me nervously. I look like shit too, haven't bathed in days, and have had nothing but alcohol and ice cream.

I take a deep breath, the taste of alcohol with every breath is almost intoxicating, probably would be if I wasn't already drunk.

"Ash is dead." I say, trying not to sugarcoat it, to myself, and to them. My father stoic demeanor takes a bit of a hit, while my mother takes a look of complete surprise. "She killed her caretaker, then escaped from the sanitarium into the mountainside. They've been looking for her for days with no luck." I continue.

My mother starts weeping. After a moment in shock, my father wades through the bottles to come sit with me, he puts his arm around my shoulder.

We stay in silence for a bit, only being interrupted by my hiccups. I get up and start to clean the bottles, my father helping me.

"We... came because the office was looking for you, I take it you haven't gone since you got the news?" My father asks me, as he helps me take some bottles to the garage. He stops me on the way, putting his hand on my head for a moment, and I start to gain composure again. I start to speak clearly "there's no point, dad. Ash was the only reason I went back to the job in the first place. Now that shes gone, there's no purpose..." I tell him, hanging my head low as we walk.

"My son, take as long as you need to grieve. We'll be there for you as long as you need, Gabriel." My father reassures me. "You should have told us sooner, we would have been here to grieve with you."

I drop the dozen or so bottles into the recycling bin, the glassy clanks almost give me a headache.

"I... haven't been taking it well." I say in shame, as we walk back towards the living room, my mother still weeping. On our second trip with the bottles, I stop my father from going back in from the garage, motioning for him to close the door. "Is it normal to feel so much guilt? I... hardly even visited her recently, her caretaker said she was getting increasingly unhinged, and was a danger to me! And-" My father stops me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"When my first children died, I felt like it was entirely my fault. I felt destroyed, and it led to me making some really poor decisions I regret now. It took me a while, but I was able to move on. If Ash was still here and of right mind, she would have thanked you for being an excellent father. You did all you could, don't destroy yourself over this." His words warm my heart... "Remember, my son. We bear this burden together."

* * *

Sounds of a tamed rainfall.

Mom and dad kept me company for a bit. They promised they would leave me alone for the night as long as I didn't go out and get any more alcohol. I talked with Mom for a bit, after she calmed down. Why must all of her children be taken from her? I'm all she has left...

My skin is shriveled like a prune, the water of the shower went cold dozens of minutes ago. My mind keeps wandering. Grief, regret, and thinking about the future.

Where do I go from here?

Do I continue working for the ambassadors? Do I take up writing again? Do I...?

I turn off the shower.

It takes a while, like usual, but I'm able to dry off, and clean out the shower drain. I rub the condensation off the mirror, and take a look at myself. I look like shit. Haven't shaved in days, have some mighty circles under my eyes, and the age on me is very apparent, but that's not a problem anymore...

My humble room contains a humble king sized bed. One half is well made and dusty, while one half is a mess. I sit in the bed, the supports letting out a small creak. I've probably gotten fatter the last few days, but that's besides the point...

I eye the dusty side of the bed, hasn't seen use in a long, long time

Looking at it usually gives me a stupid idea, but this time... its not so stupid. This is something I need to do.

I get up and walk towards my dresser. Its filled with fancy suits, old family robes, and even some ugly sweaters. Hidden near the bottom, behind some old pajamas and socks is a small wooden box. I slowly take it back to the bed with me, and wipe the dust off it. Inside are some of my more personal possessions, and old legal documents. Passports and visa's from my multiple travels, each one was a struggle to obtain.

Near the top, along with a gold wedding band is a folded piece of paper. I open it up, and see her handwriting, it simply lists a phone number. With little delay, I take my phone off my night table and dial in the number.

I take a few deep breaths while the ringer goes off, but it picks up after a few moments.

There's a bit of rustling. "Hello? Who is this?" A soft female voice asks.

"...It's... Gabe." I say to my ex-wife. "Gabriel?! Hah! What a pleasant surprise. What's this about?" Kassandra ends with a laugh. "No luck finding a girlfriend?" She says sarcastically, despite obviously sounding happy to hear from me.

I sigh. "You know I wouldn't call you for something like that..." She laughs again. "I don't know _what_ you would call for, to be honest. Whatever it is, I'm glad to hear from you, how've you been? Still dealing with the problem child?" She asks, once again seemingly as a joke.

Why do you have to be like this? I had forgiven you, but _that's_ going too far.

I clench my fists. " _My_ daughter is dead." I say irritably, and the laughing stops.

"..."

"I'll call you again when the funeral date is finalized. I know you don't give a shit about her, but act like an adult for once, show up, and just _pretend_ to care." I say to her, my voice lined with venom.

She isn't laughing anymore. "Gabriel, I didn't know, I'm sor-" I hang up on her.

I'm hold my free fist gripping the edge of sheets, before throwing the phone across the room, it makes a weak clack as it hits the corner of my dresser. I take some deep breaths, as my nails dig into my palm. I take a few minutes to calm down, before putting my possessions back into my closet, an getting into my pajamas. I walk to my bathroom again, and take a look at my angry face in the mirror. I brush my teeth, and shave, I start to resemble my old self.

I pace around my room for a bit, trying to calm down, I'm still so angry. I turn off my lamp, and try to sleep, getting my mind off her.

But its another sleepless night, shifting from anger and frustration, back to sadness. I can't separate memories of my wife from my late daughter. No bottle to comfort myself with tonight either...

The hours pass, and I get up. Still many hours left until sunrise.

I start to roam the lonely halls of my house, trying to tire myself out a bit.

I've been through this same grief so many times... but there was always the hope that things could somehow miraculously go back to normal, how they used to be... Not a chance anymore.

Never a chance to see my _little A_... ever again. Maybe in a casket, If I'm lucky...

Her bedroom door hasn't seen much use. Her name emblazon on a sign she made herself hangs on the door. She was always so proud of this... I go into her room every now and then, but I said I would wait to touch anything until we could come back together... Like many things in this house, the room is dusty and lonely, a time capsule two years in the making...

Everything just as I remember it. Even her math homework is all here on her desk, little doodles of her teachers face dramatized to be really ugly. I can't help but laugh... There even a... thing I forgot about here...

A nice and big photo hung up over her desk. This was taken... years and years ago. Its everyone outside this house. My old friend Quill, his wife Muffet and daughter Charlotte who both miss him dearly... Happy family Undyne, Alphys, and Zelda... The enigmatic brothers Sans, and Papyrus... Hah... Ezikel isn't in this, I remember, he was late for the photo, of course, that's just like him. If only he was late to Paris... Last but not least, gathered around the front door, there's me, there's Kassandra, a little to the side of me, there's mom, there's dad, and there's Frisk sitting by my feet, with Ash in her lap, looking away from the camera... Totally uninterested...

The only people left here are me, my parents, and Quill's family, I'll need to give Muffet a call too, to give her the news... I really should talk with her more, she's in much the same boat I am... except she's still got her daughter...

I un-hang the photo from the wall, and take it with me to Ash's bed.

This one definitely buckles under my weight as I sit on it, creaking a fair deal, prompting me to lay down on childs bed, my legs hanging over the ledge, as I hug the photo with both arms against my chest.

My tired eyes look at the ceiling of the dark room.

I want my old life back.

I want my old wife back.

More than anything, I want my daughter back...

I hug the photo tighter, and start to choke up.

 _This is everything I've lost, and its all I have left._

* * *

"Can you make me a new bed too? This one sucks." I ask to Flowey, as he sows me a new shirt in the center of the room. I'm getting really sick of this bed, and how my legs hang off the edge. "Really? You know how hard this is already? You are _so_ needy." Flowey says muffled to me as he looks up, a set of needles held between his puny lips.

"Fine" I cough "can you make me a new bed too, _please._ " I say from under the covers, I'm dreadfully cold, and I'm not risking lighting this bed on fire, I think Flowey would actually kill me if I did. "Oh! Sure! Because you asked so nicely..." He sets down the shirt and the needles as I look at him over the covers in surprise. "Really?" I ask, not fully believing him.

He looks at me. I look back at him.

"Yup. Let me just conjure one up _right_ now!" He says, sarcasm evident, getting me to squint again. There's a bit of a poof noise, and a flash of light, after he seems to focus for a moment. "There, its done." He says, before picking up the shirt again and getting to sowing. "..." I look around the room, expecting to see something, and I do. On the night table is a small bed made from what seems to be crackers, and a pig carved from an apple sitting on it. "...smart ass." I grumble as he giggles, before grabbing the small bed and pig and wolfing it down.

* * *

I'm starting to worry.

I've been in really rough shape for the last week now. And I need to get better soon...

Flowey looked at my soul. Its cracked. Not only can these mimics can damage you physically, it also damages your soul, and apparently that persists even _after_ a load. Soul damage is an insidious effect, it makes your entire being fail to work properly, and not only does the damage get worse every time you get hit one of these things, its apparently so bad for me now that the cracks grow larger with each passing day. He estimates I only have a month at most to live.

The illness has subsided a bit, but I'm still bedridden, each day ticking down towards my death.

I can't even walk right, Flowey had to go find a wheelchair for me to get around the house, instead of him having to lug me to the dining room or bathroom. He made some supports for me so I can bathe on my own too. He can still be distant, but hes been much more accommodating of me overall, he even makes food for me, and who would have known hes a hell of a good chef?

"How have I never seen you eating pizza before? It would be all I would do." I say, eating a slice. Its just a plain pepperoni style pizza, but its _damn_ good, especially compared to nonstop pickles.

I'm eating at the table, I have to look back at him while he stays cozy near the fire. "I have no need to. I can't taste, and I don't need food. All I need is a bit of water every now and then." He states, flat as always. "You were like a freak science experiment, right? Have any other special abilities?" I ask him as I chew.

He shakes his head. "Not really. Its all downsides. Can't eat, can only feel physically if its pain, and can't feel empathy for others. Everything being soulless implies."

"Really? You don't seem that empty to me." I say, before digging into another slice. "I don't believe you would even be here right now if you didn't feel even just a shred of empathy for me." I say with my mouth full.

"Thanks..." He says earnestly. Wait, that was a compliment?

"No problem." I say with fake swagger. I'll take it.

I eat in silence for another few minutes, before asking a question.

"Say... your old species was called boss monsters, right? I read about them a bit in, whatever the place before this was." Flowey quickly answers me "Waterfall, great name right? King was an idiot, just named everything what it was. The ruins? Home? Waterfall? New home? HOTLAND? Come on, a rock probably has a better sense of creativity then him. Wait, that's _actually_ true, there was a rock monster, a literal stone with a mustache, that named Snowdin. _God_ this place was so stupid." He ends his rant with a disappointed tone, as I get a good laugh in, but it becomes coughing. I slowly wheel my way to the fire to sit with him, having finished my magic pizza.

He continues, "yeah, my mom and dad were both boss monsters. I never got much of a chance to talk to them about what we really were, . All I gathered from my many years is that Boss Monsters were created by some freak occult means tens of thousands of years ago. Something about crossbreeding, yadda yadda, not sure how much stock I put into it." Interesting...

"That happened. A kid was born to a monster, and a human parent." I tell him, he seems surprised. "Really? On the surface?" He asks, doubtful. "Yeah, like ten years ago, the whole world went mental, almost more mental then when monsters were discovered. The kid... died young, complications with their birth. Spent all of their life in the hospital, rigged up to machines. Knew the kids parents, they didn't deserve that pain." I say, getting reminiscent. "That's what you get for doing the nasty outside your species, I guess." He says sarcastically.

Can't argue with that.

I take a deep breath, as we lounge near my fire. I look down at my hands in my lap, slowly grasping at the air.

Can't argue with that...

* * *

I look like shit, but at least I can stand. Don't need the shower supports anymore.

The mirror in the washroom is very large, and spreads from the ceiling to the floor, gives you a full body look. Perfect for your average subterranean narcissist. Like me! Kinda, I don't have much to be narcissistic about. I'm basically a bag of bones, no muscle, no fat. Monster food may be great, but it doesn't add body fat, or not much of it at least. My stomach is deeper then my rib cage, my pale skin has scarring and grey burn marks all over. My feet and arms still have a lot of remnants of abuse too.

I do a fake flex in the mirror. I need to work out. And like a kilo of ice cream. Actual ice cream.

Turns out Flowey is really good at sowing. He made me nice big shirt, red with a single white wide stripe running through the center. Really big on me, but it means I can wear it for life. Made with magic proofed fibers, so I can freely use my magic in it without destroying the thing. Its super comfy and warm, I've worn it non stop since he gave it to me.

Not only a shirt, but a good pair of shorts too. Made with a really tough grey material, stretches just about over my kneecaps, same made for life deal. He made a really nice belt to go along with it, along with a very good pair of fitted shoes, though those won't be for life, I have a little bit more growing to do.

Its all really plain and old school, but very high quality. An outfit of similar quality on the surface would probably cost an entire paycheck, maybe two.

I still have a little bit of issues with walking, and I still get the occasional coughing fit, but I should be back to normal within a few days. I've taken almost a week to recover, meaning I have maybe... three weeks left? If we're being generous, that is. We're probably going to start heading to the core with a week left on the clock, just to be safe.

Until then, I better find something to do. I know Flowey already has some plans.

* * *

"Alright loser, time to learn some magic."

We're on the large ledge overlooking the city, the same grey sight I've gotten used to the last few weeks.

I'm doing a jog in place to try to give my legs a constant work out, or even just keep em active.

"Sweet. You know, like, explosion magic or something?" I ask, excited to learn some more moves. I've had no luck finding any magic books anywhere in the city, a complete lack of whats supposed to be the bread and butter of Monsterkind.

"I'm starting from the bottom up, and I'm _not_ teaching you offensive magics. A novice misfire can leave us in a very bad spot, so I'm going to teach you things that won't screw us over if you mess up in Hotland." He states, which gets a small scowl out of me. "Besides, I've seen your fire, its plenty potent enough to deal with just about anything."

"Thanks?" I say incredulously, as I limber up. "So, whats up first then?"

"Falling."

"What do you mean _falling?_ " I ask with a squint.

"I want you to jump off this here ledge, and land without breaking a single bone." He asks with a snide smile. "Is this supposed to be a trick question?" I ask as I look over the ledge carefully, half expecting to get a sudden push from behind.

"Nope. Try thinking about a feather slowly dropping as you fall, make your imagination reality. _Be_ the feather." Flowey reassures me, as I look down. Its like a twenty meter drop...

Nothing to fear...

I close my eyes, and back up. I imagine the feather, floating down slowly towards the ground.

Deep breath, you have nothing to fear...

I take antsy steps forward, my instincts arguing with me not to walk over the ledge.

One shaky step.

Another.

Flowey says something dumb about not splatting too hard, but I tune it out.

Another step.

Another.

I fall forwards.

My heart goes into overdrive, but I keep my eyes closed, focusing on the feather, as I grit my teeth.

The falling goes on longer then it should.

I open my eyes, but stay focused on the feather, to see myself floating towards the ground.

"Ha! I'm d-doing it!" I say with excitement.

I am the feather. My feet make contact with the ground, I turn around and look up to Flowey, waving to him. To my surprise, he jumps off the ledge, his long stem free. He floats down, almost like a parasol, his small petals flapping around. I catch him, and give him a hug, getting a surprised reaction out of him.

I'm stricken with glee "I did it!" I exclaim as I spin around with him, as he squeals.

I set him down, and he quickly retreats his stem to the earth.

"Yeah. You did." He says almost reluctantly. "Whats wrong?" I ask, calming down from my high.

"That should have taken longer. It took me dozens of tries as a kid to even break a two meter fall, let alone float down a few stories..." He says, kind of confused. "Told ya, I'm a fast learner." I gloat.

"You're a natural alright..." He says as he looks up to the ledge. "Not perfect or anything, but still what you would expect out of a few weeks of training... You still have a ways to go, featherfooting can be used to jump great distances too, even if slowly." My face lights up. "That's awesome! When can we start?!" I ask, eager to learn more.

"Right now. We don't got anywhere to be." He says, before we make our way back up to the ledge.

* * *

"Checkmate." Flowey says, after he puts my king in a deadlock. "Agh! I was _so_ close that time." I say, crossing my arms with frustration. After he gloats a bit, we set up for another game.

Chess, the age old classic. Transcends all cultures, _the_ game if there ever was one.

Too bad I suck at it.

Its a good way to pass the time though, also a good way for me to practice kinesis, as I lift the pieces with my mind. I'm able to move them around the board with precision as I keep my hands metaphorically tied behind my back. I need to get better at this, the movement of the pieces is way too slowly.

We start our twelfth game.

Flowey breaks the silence of the first few moves with a question. "So... what was life like on the surface?"

"It was scary. I saw my peers and family getting treated awfully just because they're Monsters, almost every day." I say as the flower takes one of my pawns. I guide my bishop to take one of his, but its a stupid move, his knight takes my bishop as revenge. Damn it.

He thinks about his next move. "I'm surprised everyone didn't just get slaughtered on their way out. Who knows, maybe that was the case..." He says shaking his head. I take one of his rooks with my knight before I respond. "You guys have no clue how lucky you were that you guys were that you were under a mountain in _Germany_ of all places." I say as I ponder my strategy.

"That's this country? Or is it continent? I forget." He inquisites. I'm surprised he even know that much about geography seeing as hes _literally_ lived under a rock his entire life. He told me the only thing he knows about the surface was the things from the books and movies that flowed down from illegal dumping sites, that's how they got most of the tech down here too, reverse engineering is a hell of a thing.

I nod, "yup. You know anything about the world wars?" I ask him. "I've heard the term a few times, but enlighten me." He asks politely, after moving a pawn up. "Well, back in the twentieth century, so starting about two hundred fifty years ago, the first two world wars happened. Germany happened to be on the losing side of both conflicts, each one being split into two general sides between many nations. The first world war was a pretty grey conflict, with no one being a clear 'bad guy' or 'good guy.'" I start, moving up my knight.

"What were the wars fought for? Freedom?" Flowey asks, seemingly paying a little less attention to the game. "For some smaller nations that got tied up in _either_ of the conflicts, yeah. But for the bigger nations of the first conflict it was petty war for the sake of land or resources. Millions died terrible deaths taking orders from people who didn't really give a damn about them. Bigger nations forced their people into the war in drafts, and smaller nations fighting for their independence had no choice but to the same. It was all around stupid, just a total waste of life on all fronts." I take a breath and try to gather my thoughts, as Flowey listens.

"So, at the end of the first world war, Germany ended up taking the blame for the conflict, despite not even being the ones who started it. All the countries of the world made the battered Germany sign the _Treaty of Versailles,_ which basically said that a lot of Germany's land was going to be taken away, the country had to pay exorbitant amount of reparations, the country was no longer allowed to militarize basically at all, along with a lot of other bullshit." I pause for a minute to try to remember everything right "whats this gotta do with the Monsters though?" Flowey asks, obviously confused. "I'm getting there, hold on a minute." I clear my throat.

"So, a lot of smart people said the _Treaty of Versailles_ was a recipe for disaster back then, saying that it could create a bitter nation if given enough time. Guess what, they were right. If there were no bad guys in the first world war, that sure as hell wasn't the case for the second. A man named _Adolf Hitler_ almost single handedly dragged Germany out of its two decade long stagnation, becoming the nations leader, and forming the new German military, the _Nazi's._ Everything was fine and good for a little while, Hitler was even seen as a brilliant and admirable man the world over for what he did for his country."

"And?"

I shake my head. "Dude went off his rocker. He started invading other neighboring countries, declaring death to all _Jews_ , a major religious sect of the world, and a bunch of other super villain type stuff. Almost every country of the world ended up getting involved in the six year long conflict, ending on two fronts where the German capital was overrun, Hitler having taken his own life in the final hours of the conflict. The other side was Japan, who had the honor of having the first two Atomic Bombs in history dropped on them." Flowey's eyes widen. " _Atomic_ _Bombs_? Those weren't just science fiction?" Wow, he has heard of them. Makes it easier on me, don't have to explain.

"Yes sir, first one wiped the Japanese capital off the map, tens of thousands dead at the snap of a finger, thousands more died slow death from the radiation. The Japanese emperor was an idiot, and still didn't surrender to the United States after that, thinking they couldn't possibly have another of these totally unheard of weapons. What did the States do in response? Drop another bomb on their second most populated city. They surrendered afterwards." He starts a nervous laugh. "That's messed up..." He says, nodding his head. "I still don't get what it has to do with the Monsters though?"

"Oh, my bad, got on a tangent with the bombs. Back to Germany and Hitler. Hitler really didn't like Jews, and what started as Jews just starting to get ridiculed in the country, grew to the Jews getting treated unfairly, then to the Jew's getting their stuff taken away from them, to their homes getting taken away from them, to them being forced to live in camps against their wills, to them being trained off to concentration camps, where Nazi's would round up Jew's into chambers, and gas them, or just shoot them, why not? Hitler was in control, he could do whatever he wanted. By the end of the conflict, it was estimated that over five _million_ Jews were killed as a result of the Nazi party."

"Thats a lot of blood on one set of hands." He seems shocked, I nod in response. "He may be the most famous Human to ever live, but he didn't even the the high score for kill count. You got guys like _Alexander the Great_ , and _Genghis Khan_ who both conquered pretty much the entire damn world. There's also assholes like _Mao_ and _Joseph Stalin._ All those people are responsible for millions of deaths, I think Mao had something like seventy _million_ kills due to his negligence of his own people." I say, disgusted thinking about these people in history.

"Holy crap... how can one person be responsible for all that?" Flowey asks, his eyes wide.

I move a piece forward, signalling to him I want to continue the game. "So, after the war, every country in the world was battered and tired. The victors learned from their mistakes with the _Treaty of Versailles_ though, and instead helped the losing countries like Germany and Japan rebuild, implanting more democratic governments into them. It wasn't perfect, but both of those countries were able to rebuild into some of the most advanced nations in the world, and also some of the best places in the world to live." I take another piece from him, I'm on a roll!

"I think I see where this is going now." He says before making a move. "Yeah. Even so much as drawing the Nazi symbol in Germany today is _still_ considered a heinous crime hundreds of years later. Germany as a nation is endlessly apologetic of Hitler's actions, and of the Nazi party as a whole. If only Japan was the same way, great country, but they still deny a lot of the atrocities they committed in the war, but that's another tangent." I laugh, but its cut short as Flowey takes my Queen. Stupid knights and their L shaped cones of attack...

"So, Monsters were lucky their home is a nation that's ashamed of genocide they once committed, or else, yeah, Monsters probably would have gotten the holocaust treatment themselves. Was like that for the first few years for Monsters though, they were forced to live in camps, they just weren't shot or gassed, and things got better before they ever got worse, thanks to Frisk." I say as I take out his queen with my bishop, the games getting down to the end!

"That's a hell of a story... can't believe it all happened, not even too long before I was born." He says as he looks over the board, no doubt scheming a plan of attack. "My people were living happily underground while war was happening on the surface... There's still a lot of persecution on the surface though, huh? Even after everything Frisk did?" His voice still has a hard time saying her name...

"History forgotten is history repeated. A lot of Humans don't even see Monsters as people, leading to more and more racism. Rampant and false rumors about the nature of Monsters get spread, people who won't even give them a chance, instead believing what some old crock on the internet made up about them instead. Its waaaaay worse outside of Germany though, a lot of countries have threatened war on Germany for _daring_ to house these _demons_." I say with exaggeration. "Check!" I continue with glee, victory is in my grasp.

"Sounds annoying." I scoff, that's an understatement... "Its annoying on both sides, honestly. Annoying from Humans being assholes, and annoying from Monsters too."

"How so?" Flowey asks after breaking out of my check. "Some Monsters get the wrong idea, and decide to make the fact that they are oppressed their entire identity. Everything becomes about racism, and they start belittling Humans at every opportunity, thus becoming the thing they hate."

Flowey shakes his head.

"Moral of the story is; people don't ever learn, huh?" He says with a smile.

I close my eyes and nod. "Yup."

"Speaking of which... Checkmate." He says, getting my eyes to shoot open.

"NO!" I shout in defeat, as my head makes contact with the board and sends all the pieces careening across the living room floor.

"So, another game?" He asks snidely as I wallow in defeat.

"Gimme a minute..."

* * *

Wood, wood, wood.

Looking for wood.

New Home's many abandoned homes don't have much of it. I haven't found a single bed frame, but there's a good amount of wood tables. Most of them are too thin or abused to use at all, but sometimes I'll find one worth using. Then I'll featherfoot, and jump my way back to the house with the wood. Easy.

All the trees from Snowdin seem to be pine, something I never worked with back in shop, but wood is wood. Agh, I still don't know how there were so many damn trees underground, but I've quickly learned that trying to question anything down here just doesn't work, I even asked Flowey bout all sorts of things that had been puzzling me, all he could say was "don't know" or "you'd be surprised how far people will go for a joke when bored."

Oh, I didn't know about this place. In the corner of the city, along the wall not too far from where the kings house is, there's a well hidden staircase leads down underground, err, underunderground. There's a small door to the left of the feet of the staircase, with a sign on it that reads "rest in peace," along with a small old school style lock keeping the door shut.

I almost feel a chill on the back of my neck. Something about this doesn't feel right...

The look seems ancient, the sign does too. Its like its been abandoned longer then most things here...

Should I go get Flowey to back me up? Or am I just being paranoid? I have to be... I can't just leave this be, I know I'll get curious eventually.

God, silence is so unnerving. I hate that about down here, its always so damn quiet. I'd trade another twenty games of chess with Mr. Chess PhD Flowey for any kind of music player at all. God, I forgot music was even a thing, I hate silence.

Screw it, I don't need Flowey giving me lip for being a sissy, especially when this turns out to just be some old closet. I fashion a small blue energy blade with my newly acquired talent, and make quick work of the lock, and open the very creaky door, revealing nothing but darkness. I swallow, and light up the room with my arm as a torch.

Is this what I think this is?

I look at the wall right next to the door, and find a light switch, I extinguish my hand and recall my energy knife, as dingy yellow lighting fills the room.

This appears to be some sort of laboratory, but something a lot more primitive then the underunderground one in Hotland. Lots of test tubes, beakers, empty vats, and jars line the walls. In the center of the room is a table that has all manner of dusty papers and a single book.

I come in to take a closer look at the book, dusting off its cover.

" _The Nature of the SOUL, a report by Doctor W.D. Gaster_..." I read the books title aloud. Is this the dude who lived, and died here? The book isn't all that big...

I open the book and take a read.

" _LOVE (Level Of Violence) is the measure of EXP (Execution Points,) a quantifiable value assigned to every living beings SOUL upon inflicting death on another being with a SOUL, regardless of the reason, be it self defense, or murder. Those attuned with the reading of a SOULs wavelength can easily hone in on this value, and use it to assess the threat of a another being. A being with a high LOVE value can excercize both greater physical and magical strength on those with lesser LOVE dependent on how great the gap, this greater exaggerates the already natural disparity of power between a Human and a Monster. It could be theorized that the only difference in power between a Human and a Monster is that a Human starts life with a natural allotment of EXP, or that a Monster starts with a negative allotment of EXP. The king has forbade any study on the SOUL of our one living Human, so we'll never know for sure."_

The pages go on and on with similar information. Though interesting, its not my cup of tea. And Its probably the type of thing that should never reach the surface. Flowey told me the other day that the reason there's not a lot of books left down here is that most stuff was burned when the barrier was broken,which I can infer now was to make absolutely sure Humans wouldn't find out about the places studies, history, and _especially_ about magic. Same reason that the entrance to the Core from New Home was locked off and destroyed.

Aside from the little laboratory type room, there's two other doors. The first leads to a small office type room. The cramped room contains nothing more then a desk, a bookshelf, and a little chest. The desk is empty, but the bookshelf is filled with all sorts of scientific text books, encyclopedias, and related works. I take a quick browse to check for any magic related stuff, but there's nothing. Dude lived in a world of magic and wonders and still kept with science, I don't know if that's lame or commendable. Commendably lame.

Now for some treasure, I rub my hands together, and have visions of gold and gems in the chest. Big money, big money! I break the lock, and take a look inside. What the hell is all this? Its all just a bunch of paper with illustrations of monstrous skulls, and a bunch of random symbols... I keep digging through the unsorted pile, and its all the same. Ugh, I was so looking forward to something cool, its supposed to be a treasure chest, not a garbage chest... I close the lid with a bit of frustration, and take another look around the room.

Oh that's neat. On the back of the door to the office, there's two clippings of a news paper type thing framed. First is a picture of... is that Asgore and Toriel? Woah, they both look great. They were both really pretty people in their youth, who knew Asgore was such a total hunk, and Toriel was quite regal too. Next to them, is a sorta lanky monster. A skeleton, kinda? His face certainly looks skull like. Unlike the king and queens regal robes and crowns, the skull dude is in a lab coat. The headline reads _"King appoints first royal scientist, Dr. W.D. Gaster."_ Musta been a really proud moment for the dude, wonder what killed him. Second is another clipping, its a picture of the Core, with the title. _"Electricity for the underground! Dr. Gaster's Core is a success!"_ Wow, this guy was pretty accomplished, huh?

The only other room in this quaint hole in the wall seems to be a bedroom. Three bunk style beds line the wall, but there's nothing else really here. There's a few toys on the ground, but that's it. Hope the dude didn't leave behind a family... AGH! Oh, that's just me. A big mirror on the back of the door surprises me, almost made me scream...

I take a good look at myself in the dim lighting. I raise my long bangs a bit, and get a better sight. Hmm... They've gotten a lot bigger, I wonder if Flowey has noticed yet? Maybe he already knows? If he doesn't, he will soon... I really need a hair cut, my hair reaches down to my shoulders, I really don't like it this long. I should probably just do it myself, not like anyone is gonna grill me down here if I have a shit haircut. Okay, maybe Flowey would.

Well, that seems to be all here. Interesting place, the only one that seems to be a time capsule rather then just abandoned. Also got what I came for. I swipe all the papers off the table in the main room haphazardly, and snap the table legs off easily, and shimmy the table through the entrance, and say goodbye to the science cave.

Not a moment later, and I'm featherfooting my way back to my abode, holding the table over my head, almost as if using it as a glider, as I sale over rooftops. Its still endlessly fun, both a good mental and physical exercise too.

"Got everything!" I shout to Flowey, who's resting in the garden outside the house, as he usually does.

He opens his eyes, and lets loose a yawn. "Building a fort?" He eyes over the collection of wood I've been bringing out front the house all day. "Since you didn't want to make me a non-food bed, I'm going to make one myself. Might as well spend the last few nights here in comfort." I say, my hands against my hips.

"I wouldn't a guessed you a carpenter." He says to me, as I'm taking a look at everything, trying to size things up. "I used to take a lot of wood shop back when I was in school. I really enjoyed making things, so why not exercise that old talent?" I boast a bit. "I'm gonna bring this stuff into Toriel's old room, gonna set up shop there." I say, picking up two tables, one under each arm, and start slowly carrying them inside.

* * *

"Pass me another nail." I say to Flowey as I try to hold pieces of bed frame together. He silently passes me one with a vine. "Thanks." I say, before nailing two corners together with a conjured hammer, but I'm having some trouble. No leverage... "Can you hold this in place? Please?" I ask him again, and he does. "Thanks again... you alright?" I ask, trying to break the silence.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He says.

The silence continues as I cut a piece of wood the best I can, Its so difficult without proper measuring tools.

I think about my old wood shop classes... It was so fun, but it was where my life took its turn for the worse... Would it all have turned out different if I didn't go that day...? I can hardly even remember that day, almost gives me a headache trying. Maybe its for the better that I _don't_ remember.

Hmm... I wonder...

"Hey, uh, Flowey. What did you enjoy doing back when you were a kid?" I ask him, hoping to learn a bit more about him. "...Why do you ask?" He sounds confused. "No reason, just wanna know a bit more about you." I say sheepishly as I try to get straight cuts, _man_ this is going to look like shit.

"..."

"Come on, you didn't have a hobby? What did Asriel want to do when he grew up...?" I know he doesn't like be called his old name, so this is a bit of a gamble. "Come on, I can only say so much about myself." I try to butter him up, conversation can be so awfully one sided with him... "Stop it Ash... I was a boring kid." He sulks. "Doesn't stop you about asking questions about my boring ass life. Just humor me you knob." I get impatient. "Fine, fine..." He sighs.

"I... really wanted to make movies..." He says a bit quietly with a bit of a sad smile. "Like what, be a director?" I inquire. "Yeah. I used to make crappy little movies with Chara all the time. I wanted to be the best film maker in the underground, even mom and dad were supportive of it. They were willing for me to abandon my duty as the king of the underground if it meant me being happy." He says it with such a nostalgic sadness. I did find those old movies in that lab, too bad those are probably destroyed with all that flooding. He's probably better off not knowing about those.

"Was there a big film scene in the underground? Or was it mostly recovered Human stuff?" I ask, trying to measure another cut as best I can, maybe in a better life Flowey would have been making cuts of his own... "A bit of both. It was only those amateur film buffs that even watched the recovered Human films, well, most people did actually, it wasn't until after I awoke as a flower did the Human stuff become really niche. In my first few cycles, I tried to rekindle that interest in movie making, but I just couldn't put my heart in it..." He sounds sad.

"That's all there is to it. What did _you_ want to do when you got older?" Flowey reverses the question to me, I haven't talked about this with him, so... sure. "I didn't even know... I just wanted to get through school, I hoped something would catch my interest along the way." I never really had any drive to do much of anything. Would that have changed? Guess it doesn't matter now, even if I could ever write a resume, I doubt even a Monster place would want to hire me.

We stay in silence for a bit longer, I only speak when I need to ask help from him. I think we're both kinda bummed out.

"So... Its done?" He asks me, as I look over my work from the other side of the room.

"Yup."

"It looks like it was made by _you_ alright." He says before leaving.

My proud smile turns into a scowl after a moment.

Then back into a smile, as I laugh. That was kinda funny.

* * *

I can't sleep. Not because of the bed, even though the mattress is just a bunch of blankets on top of each other, and its a creaky uneven mess, its still quite easy to sleep on knowing I made it. I'm restless because I know its my last night here.

Tomorrow morning, we move out for the Core.

I can only toss and turn so much, before deciding to take a walk. Maybe I'll go jump around the city a bit to tire myself out... just gotta tell Flowey.

Ugh, I already feel so tired... I already feel like I should turn around, even as I leave my bed, but I know if I lay down again, my mind will race... I'm afraid, but not of dying, of just leaving the world behind with so much regret, if things don't turn out for the best...

"Flowey?" I ask, but he's not in the garden outside the house, as he usually always is. Where else could he be? Did he go back to check something in the ruins, or...?

I know one place he may be.

I take a walk towards the throne room. The giant mimic on the castle still stares down at me, its sick smile ever present. Gloating about its victory over me, isn't it? Well, it gets to live. Not because I can't kill it, but because its not worth the risk just to remove the eye sore.

The throne room is the same as always. Hundreds of yellow flowers surround the lonely chair, but is the one I'm looking for here...?

"Flowey? You here?" I ask to the room.

"...Ash? Is it morning already?" A groggy voice responds. His face is now visible in the crowd of flowers, as he rises up a bit. "No... I just couldn't sleep." I respond, as I sit against the wall, trying not to get too many flower seeds on me. The light from the ceiling illuminates me a certain way, making my pale skin more visible. "Nervous about tomorrow?" He sprouts up near me with a blank expression. "Yeah..."

"Are you sure we have to go there?" He asks to make sure. "Yeah. I have no reason not to try, I'm going to die soon anyways, right?" I sulk, remembering my dream, I'm _sure_ it was real. "We can stay here, I can try to make your final days here as... pleasant as possible." He says with a small smile. "When did you get so sappy?" I ask with a sad smile.

"I'm not allowed to be nice?" He asks with some sarcasm.

"Thanks... " I start, before taking a deep breath. "Thanks for being a good friend..." I say with a voice crack. I hope I get the response I want, I want it oh so badly...

He starts laughing. I frown, expecting him to brush it off.

"I can say the same for you." He says. "Its been nice... almost makes me feel like a person again." He says fondly.

I start laughing, almost hysterically, before a few tears meet my laughter. I earned his friendship. I dive at him, right into the flowers, he lets out a small squeal as I give him a meaty hug, rubbing my cheek right into his face, as he asks for me to get off. I hold it for a moment, before I get off, and go back against the wall with a smile, I got seeds all over me, but I don't care.

"You have no idea how hearing that makes me feel, Asriel." I say, my voice cracking.

"..." He looks the other way, but I can see a bit of a smile.

I think now is the time.

"Asriel, can you look at me for a moment?" I say, getting ready. "Whats this about?" he asks, obviously a little curious.

I make sure I'm fully in the light, and grab hold onto the edge of my bangs, and hold them to the top of my head, revealing the top of my forehead to Flowey.

"I don't see wh-" he stops as he notices, his eyes widen. "Oh. Wow..."

For what I revealed to Flowey, is two small growing horns at the tip of my forehead.

"Yup. I'm the worlds only demi-Human, a Human Monster cross breed, and an overall abomination of genetics." I say with a smile, as Flowey looks at me in total surprise.

* * *

"My parents, their names are Kassandra and Gabriel, already got a lot of flack for being together, Human Monster relationships in that regard were extremely taboo, but it wasn't illegal or anything, just frowned upon. I know my mom got a hell of a lot of flack from her parents for 'daring' to be in a relationship with a Monster, enough so that they disowned her, but that was okay. She saw through that and loved my father, and my father loved her. It didn't make my fathers job any harder, after all, Frisk was still around." I take a pause. Flowey still has a shocked expression, his mouth wide open.

"When I was conceived, and my mother found out she was pregnant, there was chaos, literal riots in the streets outside our house when news of it couldn't be hidden anymore, some asshole doctor leaked it for a hearty paycheck. My mother spent the majority of her pregnancy in the hospital, as scientists were studying my unborn body. They were real annoyed, saying the baby wasn't even a Monster, that she and my father were just doing it for publicity, which made no sense considering my fathers job, where any bad publicity is not good for someone in his position, and he got a lot of it during the fiasco." I take a little break, as I feel at my horns, they're pretty sharp...

I continue. "Eventually they found out, yes, my fetus had some weird non human qualities to it. They finally believed my parents after that. During the whole time, even the Monster community was weirded out, but generally supportive, some took it as proof that Humans and Monsters could live in harmony, others took it as some sort of freak accident. I agree with the latter." I take another breath.

"I was gonna say, other then the horns, I don't see any monster in you at all." Flowey says, a air of shock still in his voice.

I laugh. "You haven't met many Humans, so its fair. White hair and red eyes are both _extremely_ rare qualities in Humans. But other then that, and the horns, which I didn't even have until recently, I'm basically Human, but with all the negative connotations being a Monster suggests." I finish by pointing to my hair and horns. I know they started coming in the sanitarium, but I don't know when exactly, puberty related most likely.

"This is unbelievable..." He groans, shaking his head with his eyes closed. "What happened when you were born?" Flowey asks after hes finished.

I look up at the skylight. "It was a disaster. I was born two months premature, basically meaning I was born way too underdeveloped... I had to be hooked up to machines, and even then, the doctors said I had next to zero chance of making it out of the hospital in anything other than a coffin." I finish with a somber note. "But I did it. I survived impossible odds for the first time." I say with a sick laugh, before continuing.

"Eventually, my parents were allowed to take me home, and they raised me with their love, and the joined love of the Monster community, who took me and my mother in as one of their own. Eventually, the media and the rest of the world just stopped caring about me, probably because of how Human I looked, most people out of country still thought I was a publicity stunt, but the Humans here still mostly treated me like garbage." I say, playing around with a small ember in my palms.

His look of shock has mostly worn off. "I had no idea... it makes sense though, when I looked at your soul, it was very strange... Not like a being with both a Human and Monsters soul, but a Monster soul with Human strength. I thought it was just the effects of the mimic attacks on your soul, but no..." He has his eyes closed in contemplation. "I wouldn't be surprised if that's whats making you more receptive to magic, you learned everything I taught you scary fast, you have the power of a mage with decades of training..."

"That's what I thought too. Sorry for not telling you, I'm not sure how you were gonna react." I say sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head.

I continue. "When I was in court for my two murders at the time, if I was human, it would have just meant being tried as an adult, and getting maybe life in prison, maybe less because I was a juvenile with mental issues, but because I'm not completely Human, I was defaulted to being a Monster, and I was to get the death sentence for my crime unless I won the insanity plea. My father fought for me as hard as he could, with a team of very good lawyers, and did win that. I was to be put into a sanitarium, and my father said he would fight with all his might for me, if he could pass equal monster rights, he could re-appeal my sentence... I don't know what progress he's made, I never got the chance to ask him on my trip up." I tell him, he looks the other way, probably remembering what I told him about my excursion to the surface. I let out a long yawn.

"He had such a hard time after the culling... Being a Monster made his job _so_ much harder then it was for Frisk. Frisk was a charismatic Human, just those two qualities made her job as head ambassador so much more possible. Dad had to work ten times harder for half the results..." I sigh.

We sit in silence for a bit. Flowey looks at my face with focus, before he squints. "Uh... What kind of monster is your father, to be compatible with a Human like that?" Oh boy, here we go. "Maybe that's a stupid question, never mi-" I interrupt him "no, that's alright." I start with another smile, this is gonna be good.

"My father is a boss Monster. I take it that was your assumption?" I tell him, and he smiles for a second, before turning to a sharp frown. He shoves his face into the ground, grumbling "no no no..." shaking his head back and forth.

"Whats wrong Asriel? Ashamed to meet your niece, Ash Dreemurr?" I say in a mocking tone towards my uncle.

He lets out a long defeated moan. Before I start to walk back to the house on my own. A big dumb smile on my face the entire walk. I take another look at all the ruined buildings, the grey walls, the castle, and all of New Home, and even the giant mimic overlooking me.

My kingdom.

I _am_ the princess of this goddamn hole, a monarch of dust and stone.

And this princess needs some sleep.


	13. Chapter 12 - Pressure

THE NINTH FALL - Chapter 12 "Pressure."

* * *

 _Somewhere else, some time else..._

"I'm sorry about your brother." I address my judge, as I sit before him in my overgrown throne room.

His grimace is unchanging. "i'm not too beaten up about it in all honesty." His nonchalant response puts a bit of a frown on me, did he hate his brother? "Sans, what makes you say that? I thought you loved your sibling?" I lean forward in my chair, my concern apparent.

"i did love him."

"And?"

"he was turning into something different then who i grew up with. in his endless search for truths in the soul, he found _something_ out, and it made him distant, it made him _heartless_. you and i both know things that would drive your average person into a depression, and he found out something far more sinister then even the existence of timelines, if even _he_ wasn't able to handle it."

I get up, and approach my judge.

"Sans. What. Did. He. Learn?" I ask in stern, yet, morbid curiosity.

"no clue, he took that cursed knowledge to the grave, and you know what...?"

He laughs.

"we're better off not knowing."

* * *

Hotland.

Its the dumbest name I've ever heard.

Grandpa wasn't allowed to name anything for a reason. Something I always wanted to know the story behind, only getting "he's really bad at naming things," but they weren't kidding. They got a cat, and he wanted to name it "Kitty." Too bad Toriel stepped in and dashed his poorly thought out plan.

I wonder how they're doing?

Grandma was still a teacher, while grandpa still just ran a flower shop. Nothing special, but honest lives. They used to babysit me a lot when I was young, I would get piggyback rides with Asgore, and eat delicious pie made by Toriel before bed. Hopefully that haven't fallen down in the time I've been gone, but I don't think they would have. It usually takes a three to four alive children to drain a Monsters life force, and they only have my dad.

They've been around for a hell of a long time though, huh? Possibly thousands of years... I couldn't even imagine being around for that long, how has life not gotten completely stale...?

I'm... fairly sure I won't be able to age either, unless I have children... Is that a blessing? Or a curse? Hopefully I can live to find out on my own.

We're here, in Hotland.

We had to go through the old boating tunnels to get here, it was the only way that wasn't completely locked off. Rowing is such a work out... And now I'm back in the searing heat to boot, I liked it better here when I was almost naked.

"We ready to go yet?" Flowey asks, after a small while of resting in the in the lab. "Already?" I ask, as I try to cool down by using a plate from the side of the desk here as a makeshift fan. " _Already?_ We've been here for almost an hour you idiot." He lectures me. Its really been that long?

I groan.

"Fiiiiine, lets gooooo." I say, lazily getting up and walking towards Flowey's resting place. I put him in a flower pot, makes him easier to lug around. And the pot is in a nice backpack Flowey made for me. Just has room for his pot, and not much else, at least for the moment. "So where are we headed?" I ask, as I hoist him onto my back. "Out the back exit of the lab. The elevator out near the front should work, but that could potentially corner us into a really bad spot." Flowey speaks into my ear.

"Was that down the way with your warning? The chicken scratch sign with the typo? I was going to go there, but my curiosity got the better of me. So I went down into the spook lab." I respond to him, his plucky voice behind me reassurance that I have my back covered. "What? _Typo_? That's a load of bull, I don't misspell." he asks, getting sidetracked. "Well, you did." I say with a smirk. "Did not." he repeats his sentiment, acting like a child. "You wanna go back and check?" I ask, stopping in my tracks. "Not really. I know I'm right." I keep walking forward with a small grumble, not willing to argue anymore. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt...

The path forward is dark, hot, and bleak. Sweaty too, it feels like a sauna down here...

"Did people really live down here? This seems stupid dangerous." I ask him. "Yeah, usually only the idiots that could handle the heat, and didn't mind the risk of tripping into lava, which didn't happen as much as you would think, surprisingly enough."

Huh.

"Still think this place woulda been alright with guard rails." I mutter, making sure to focus on my footing.

He laughs."Does the Human world just have guard rails, or safeties on everything mildly unsafe?" he asks. "Pretty much. Human kids are idiots, brains are too big for their stupid heads, despite that, they need to be watched very closely to make sure they don't fall down a flight of stairs, or run into traffic, or play with a knife. And even then, most adults are idiots too." I tell him, he probably already knows, but I feel like I'll go crazy without small talk.

"Give me an example of Human stupidity."

I wrack my mind for an example.

"For like a hundred years, there was a group of people around the world who _actually_ thought the Earth was flat." I say, as we take a turn. "Huh...? What do you mean, _flat?"_ He asks in confusion. "They thought that the world was a flat plane, and that space, and other planets was all bullshit. It was a giant conspiracy theory that the entire world was apparently 'in' on, and that this enlightened group of flat-earther's was the only one with the truth."

"...even people in the underground knew the Earth was a sphere, how can you even be so stupid? Was this just a long time ago...?" He sounds like hes having a conniption. "Nope. This started well into the age of the internet. It only stopped in the last century, when space travel became readily available to almost any shmuck." I explain, I wonder if he knows about that?

"There are people in space?" Flowey asks, a hint of wonder in his voice.

"For the last hundred something years. We first had a man on the moon in the late nineteen-hundreds, then there was a lot of not much, we had some dudes in a space station, but that was it. But in the twenty-fifty's, we finally made a outpost on the moon, then in this century, we made it to Mars, and have started colonizing that. Mars still isn't all that accessible to any average guy, but even trips to the moon are only a luxury vacation nowadays." I say, remembering the day that Dad said he'd take me there. But noooo, Monsters can't go to the moon...

"That's incredible... almost sounds like a fantasy." He says.

I stop in my tracks, getting Flowey to ask whats up.

I put my hands on my hips.

"There's a big gap here between this and the next platform." I say, knowing its the only way forward.

"The vents must be out. Just featherfoot, and jump over." Flowey says to me.

I squint. "Vents? As in...?"

"As in these vents would shoot you to the next platform." He informs me, which gets me to jump off the metal grate I was standing on. "What? Okay, that's _stupidly_ dangerous. You can't tell me that doesn't seem suspect." I say in disbelief, as I look over the ledge.

"Just-, jump already." He sounds aggravated.

I let loose a nervous sigh. "You sure about this? What if I miss?" I ask, looking down into the orange light.

"You'll die, I'll die, so what. It'll be pretty painful though, so try to avoid that unless you like pain." He says nonchalantly. I get the magic ready, I feel lighter on my feet as I cast it. I get my backpack off, and hug it against my chest as to make sure Flowey doesn't fall as I jump.

Here we go!

I undershoot the jump, so I don't just walk off the platform like an idiot, it feels weird, but it works, as I land on the next platform, I stumble a bit almost falling off the platform, but I regain my balance. "If you drop me, I'll use my vines to grab onto your legs. With thorns." Flowey tells me completely seriously. I don't doubt him.

"I won't." I say, as I make the next jump, he waits until we land to respond. "You're pretty good at dropping chess games, how am I supposed to feel safe?" He jokes. "Harr harr. For someone your age, you're really immature." I say back to him, preparing for the last jump, at least for the foreseeable future. "What can I say? I'm a kid at heart." He says in mid air. Ugh.

These are easy jumps, but it doesn't make them any less nerve wracking. Its over before I know it though, letting me breath easy. We're back on a straight path, and soon enough, a fantastic sight comes into view.

"Flowey, is that the Core?" I ask, looking at the crazy thing in the distance. "Yeah, we'll be there in less then two hours if the paths aren't busted." I can see the outlines of something connected to it, but its hard to see in the dark. "How sure are you that its the source of everything? I haven't been in the Core since before I was a flower, nowhere to sprout up." he responds, unsure.

"I'm sure." I say, recalling my dream, the strange being that called me to the Core, the mass of iron pipes ahead of me, steam radiating from its many pores.

I don't know what they want, but I have to find out, and if killing them means my freedom and health, I will gladly do so.

* * *

The path is long, boring, and surprisingly uneventful. We ran into a few of the mimics, but they were easily dispatched, they didn't even really try to fight us, so me and Flowey had just been talking about mundane stuff, but even that got boring. Flowey says we aren't walking in circles, but I'm not entirely convinced. My feet are starting to hurt, and my shirt is stuck to my skin with sweat. I have to pass the time somehow...

"Knock Knock." I say.

"No."

"Water- wait, what?" I ask, taken off guard by how he brushed aside my joke.

"I don't like knock knock jokes." He responds grumpily. What, is the only type of humor he like is dry sarcasm?

"Why? That one was pretty good." I say, finishing with a murmur. "I don't want to talk about it." He responds quickly. "Oh come on, its about knock knock jokes, whats there not to want to talk about? Its not like we're busy with anything else." I say, a little agitated. He takes a deep breath.

"Its pretty long, but why not. Was probably gonna tell you sooner or later." He starts. "After I found out I had the power I did, which mind you I only found out after becoming a flower, I toyed with it, a lot. At first, I was a hero, I solved everyone's problems perfectly. But after a while... I got bored, I'd spent virtual hundreds of years doing the same things over and over and over... I don't know if my lack of empathy fueled my eventual decision, but... I got curious, and I had no way of saving all monsters... So I tried to kill all monsters instead." Jeez... I guess he doesn't have much over my head at this point.

I take a moment to scratch my chin, before saying "Can you rephrase that in the form of a knock knock joke?"

Surprisingly, this gets a laugh out of him, just a giggle, but still a surprise nonetheless. Hmm... he must not truly have fostered any ill will if monsters are still here today, probably just reset after he was done messing around. Maybe he still wanted to go through with Chara's fake plan after all?

"Continue?" I ask, after I let him stop his giggle fit. "So, there was a monster, and I don't know what his background was other then being related to the old royal scientist, and working under him. When I was playing nice, he just annoyed me, he would make nonstop puns, and stupid knock knock jokes all the time." I take the time between breaths to ask something. "Who was the royal scientist? The one that created you and made all those strange entries?" I ask, wondering who that was. "I don't even know who the old one was, I saw him meet with my dad once or twice before I became a flower. He kicked the bucket in some freak science accident, then some weirdo lady, Alphys I think? She took over as royal scientist and was the one who made me. You may know her, she was one of Frisk's close friends." he gives me time to talk. "Yeah, you're right, I did know her, and she was a total weirdo, from the few times I met her. She had a lot of respect on the surface from her approach to science and robotics, even from skeptical humans. She indirectly helped the situation with the Humans so much, even though she didn't even mean too. Her daughter and wife were both nice, Frisk babysit me and the daughter a few times, Zelda was her name... Same age as me, and they all... You know." I say, not wanting to change the subject to the culling. "Continue? Sorry for changing topic again." I ask him again.

He takes a minute to start up again. "So the Monster, he was a skeleton, you probably knew em too, also one of Frisk's buddies" I do, but I don't interrupt him "as I said, he was already annoying to me, but I could handle him. After I started playing villain, and killing everyone for fun, he started playing the hero." He takes a big breath. "Sans? _Sans the skeleton_?" I start, laughing through my voice "He was a total goober! What did he try to do against you? Pun you to death?" I say in a mock voice. Flowey responds with silence.

"...He was the strongest monster in the underground..." He says quietly, much to my surprise. "Is... that a joke... or...?" I ask, but his silence is confirmation its not.

"Nope. He was. Even with my determination as strong as it was, and with infinite attempts, I could never beat him. He moved, and attacked like nothing else I'd ever seen, almost like he could bend reality to his very will, and he knew about my power to reset, or at least kind of. He was very... perceptive, to say the least. Even with me as distant as I was... He still tried to understand me, and help. Eventually, I gave up. God, I wasted so much time trying to beat him... His same stupid lines every time I would start fighting him, I'm glad hes dead. I bet he never saw that coming, stupid smiling trash bag..." He rants and grumbles.

"I woulda never guessed. Everyone loved him on the surface, sometimes too much, he had a bit of a creepy following. Obsessive, the people would shove words in his mouth he would never say, and all sorts of other really weird stuff. He became an idol without even trying, or even wanting too. Maybe they would have liked that strong side of him, hell, they probably woulda liked it too much..." I say, a bit flabbergasted. Coming down here has unmasked so many people in my life, things I never could have imagined.

I hear Flowey sigh. "I'm sorry, I'm not happy he's dead, especially considering how it happened, that was, uh, _insensitive_ of me. He had my best interests in heart, I just couldn't really see it then..." He sounds sad. "I'm not upset, I knew what you meant, I wasn't a big fan of the guy either." I say, as I pull up the straps on my backpack, he's heavier then he looks...

"What was it like? After everyone died?" Flowey asks, a twang of sadness evident. "It was heart breaking, but it was a time of unity among Monsters too. There were a lot of marches, and peaceful protests after the culling, to try to raise awareness. 'We're people too,' was a very popular sign a lot of Monsters held as they marched through New Providence's streets..." I remember it so well, I got to stay home for like a week. Charlotte and her mom were so devastated... "My family visited the graveyard quite a few times, it was packed for weeks, with almost every Monster paying their respects multiple times."

I reminisce on those sad times. "My dad knew he was going to have a hard time convincing the world after Frisk died. So he started small, with a few programs in New Providence, in cooperation with the mayor. The goal was to get more Humans on our side, and try to win over some people who weren't fans. Monsters helped the city with community service, Muffet ran a huge charity bake sale for almost a week straight, and there was even a 'meet a Monster' program, where Humans could schedule to meet a random Monster, and just talk to them for a while." I told dad I'd have no problem taking part in the program, but I got shy and chickened out at the last moment.

"Your father is a good man, huh?"

"He is... I miss him so much. Heh, he's _your_ brother, but he's almost nothing like you." I have a small giggle.

"Is he like Asgore?"

"Not nearly as boneheaded, also isn't shaped like a tank. He takes after his parents very well, all around great guy, but he beats himself up way too much though, he's upset he couldn't do his job as well as Frisk could. I hope he's okay right now... He may not even know I'm missing..." I end by making myself sad...

"Whats your mom like? I haven't heard you talk about her much."

I sigh. "She was a nurse for a nearby hospital, but I don't have much else to say about her. I love her, and I hope I see her again soon. I think she left my father some time after I went mad, she couldn't deal with the entire situation related to my illness." I hope I'm just remembering wrong...

"Thats pretty awful of her, but what do you expect from a Human, huh?" He ends with a laugh. "I'd prefer if you didn't insult my mother." I say, gritting my fist a bit. "She never wanted a child, she was pressured into having me, but... I... don't know. She loved me, I knew she did. I'll find her again, one day." I end with another sigh.

I look back towards the path, its long, and winding. "Are we close yet? I'm exhausted..."

* * *

I feel like roast goat.

"Come ooooooonnnn, how much longer?" I whine.

"Stop complaining, we'll be there soon." He's really sick of my moaning, I've been doing it nonstop for the last hour. "Why didn't you teach me how to make ice cubes? Or just a freeze spell? That would have been so niiiiiiiccceeee..." I continue to groan, as I slump forward. "We'll call that a reward if you survive this garbage, nice for the return trip."

The path continues like a damn maze for way too long. I still have to featherfoot every once in a while, to jump over increasingly high gaps. At least I don't have to look down at orange stuff that hurts my eyes badly, we're _really_ high up now, I'm really glad I don't have a fear of heights. After a few more minutes of bland purple paths, we take a turn into a strange area.

"Spider webs? Wouldn't spiders have been better acclimated to waterfall?" I ask as we enter a dark room, spider webs still draping its interior. "What did I tell you about applying logic to the underground, Ash?" Flowey retorts, I groan.

I start to burn away all the webbing on the ground, I'm surprised there's still so much.

Something pops up in my mind. "Who hung out here? I have a feeling I may know."

"Spider girl. You mentioned her earlier."

"Thought so. She's a great woman, she didn't deserve to lose her husband like that." I say, thinking about him. "His name was Quill. He was almost like a second father to me, he always looked after me when I was sick, or when both my parents were working. He always had the right words to say, to make me feel better. His daughter was a really close friend to me too, I always felt like I had a home away from home with them. Do you have any family away from family?" I ask him.

He surprisingly opens up a bit. "Back before I was a flower, I was really shy... I only really talked with my parents, and with Chara. I was such a mama's boy, I would tell her _everything_. When I was sick, or when I had a nightmare, it was straight to mothers bed, spent many a night nestled in those arms. I didn't even care when Chara made fun of me for being a baby..." He speaks with fondness.

"Did Chara have any redeeming qualities?" I ask, I've only ever heard bad things about them.

"They did... They were funny, talented, smart... This one time, we made our own board game together, and played it with our parents, it was called 'beast of the depths.'" He chuckles. "Looking back, the board game was pretty awful... But mom and dad were so proud, that they played it with us anyways."

Hmm... "Did you guys play chess together?"

"Hah. We did, a lot. That was the inspiration for our game we made, we wanted to make a better chess. But chess won in the end, and we were back to that after a few weeks."

"Were they good at it?" I ask, as I keep burning through the old webs. "I almost never won... but that was almost any game we played, they were so good at _everything._ I wanted to be like Chara. _Perfect_. I wanted to save everyone, I wanted to be amazing at everything, I wanted to be _perfect..._ But there's no such thing as a perfect person... _"_ Jeez... I shouldn't bring them up again...

"...You still have a lot of reverence for them, huh? Despite everything they did to you?"

"They are still my family, and I'm not entirely sure they meant any malice towards me and my parents."

The tape from the hidden lab, Asriel said that Chara laughed off Asgore being sick, sick from their poisoning... Did Chara do that on purpose? To see if poisoning themselves would work? Or was that the catalyst for their plan? Was them laughing it off just a coping mechanism? Or am I giving them too much credit...? Whatever, if he's forgotten this, I'll leave it like that. I'm his family too, and that enough makes me happy that he cares.

We're out of the spider room, and into some weird purple brick... stage? Did they do plays here?

"We should be there any minute now." Flowey states.

I look behind us, before slowly starting to proceed again.

"Uh... Don't you think its weird that we've only seen like, what, three mimics?" I ask him. I've been nervous about this for the last hour. "Its strange. The last time I checked this place out, it was packed with the things. Be on your guard, the hotel may be stuffed with the things." Flowey warns me.

"Will do." I say, as we start making our way up a set of steps. I really hope we don't run into anything else, I'm damn exhausted.

"Well, we're here." Flowey says.

"This looks like a dump." I say, crossing my arms.

"It is a dump." He responds with little tact, as I look at the building.

MTT hotel is a building in shambles, almost every window is broken, the cement is cracked, and the visible steel is rusted. Its completely dark inside, other then a few working lights that show, yes, the power is working.

"Mettaton ran this trash heap. I take it you know him?" he asks me. "I know of him, yes." I respond. "I hated him. Like more then I usually hate things. I woulda taken two, probably just one extra smiling trash bag clone in the underground over him. He was so obnoxious and treated the monsters that idolized him like garbage that was lucky just to have him, he apparently turned over a new leaf with Frisk's help, but people like him don't usually change. Spent a few loads tripping him straight into the Core for funsies. Good times." he says, in an almost charismatic tone.

That gets a good laugh out of me. "You'd be happy to know, you were right. He's in prison for various worker related crimes. I'll take your word for him being a prick, I've never met the guy, he was in jail before I was even born." I say, he has a good chuckle as we walk through the doors into the hotel. Everything looks like garbage, the interior is only dimly lit, there's a fountain featuring some box robot thing spraying water over its intended bowl, and a few paths to go down, the one opposite to the center, a dim blue light irradiates down that path. Also looks like a receptionists counter in the left corner, and a burger place opposite to that, neat, wonder if it was any good.

"The entrance to the Core is right down there. I take it you'll want to rest first, and probably bathe, you stink." He finishes as I squint at his comment. Its not like I can say he stinks as a counter, he's a freaking flower, smelling good is a passive trait. He's right though, my shirt is drenched with sweat, my arms feel like they're gonna fall off with these backpack straps digging into my shoulders, and my hair is all frizzy from the heat...

I smile, and suddenly ditch my backpack onto its open side, as Flowey's muffled cries protest the actions.

"Thats for saying I stink!" I shout at the twitching backpack, as I shed my rank clothes to jump into the overflowing fountain. "Ugh, I'll go scout ahead, I don't wanna see your ugly skin." He says after getting out of the trap, before burrowing into the ground.

The water is delightfully cool, it washes away the stink of today with little effort. I keep my eyes open in case anything wants to jump at me, but its still soothing nonetheless. Almost washes away the urgency of the journey here, one that was surprisingly easy. Is this a trap? If that's the case, I have no choice but to be entangled by it.

My eyes keep getting distracted by the path to the Core. The walkway is elaborate in its simplicity, all sorts of pipes running along its side, into a nice mess against the wall. I keep expecting to see something in the doorway any second, as a creeping dread overwhelms me. It wants to keep me away from the door, but draws me in at the same time. What awaits me in there?

"All clear." Flowey's response makes me jump in surprise, splashing cold water around me. "Jeez..." I say while my heart races.

"Nervous?" He asks with his blank stare. "...A bit." I fess up, looking back to the blue lit door.

"I can't check anything over there, the floor is completely metal. I don't know if its clear or not." He says, only adding to my unease.

"I'm going to dry off." I state, trying to avert my eyes from the path.

"I'll leave you be for a few minutes then." Flowey says before retreating to the ground.

I can feel the heat as soon as I get out of the fountain, and only feel more as I dry myself with flames, I walk into what I can assume was the dining room, and grab a dusty table cloth. After flapping it a bunch, I wrap it around my body under my arms as a makeshift towel. I make my way to my discarded clothes in the lobby, and get to work washing them in the fountain, drenching them completely, before drying them in my flames. Flowey's great work with the clothing shows, it was truly made by an artisan, and I can't help but admire it. I ditch the table cloth, and don the clothing again, feeling fresh, but still exhausted. I hope there are beds here...

I check behind the receptionists counter for anything of interest, but nothing. Same for the burger joint, the menu reeked of cheap food and narcissism. Only thing in there was a few jars of glitter and sequins, I hope they didn't put that on the food...

I go back to the dining room with the tables, and there's nothing of interest there. Just a bunch of things glorifying or sucking off Mettaton. Dude really liked to be surrounded by himself...

The only place left is what looks to be the hotel rooms themselves, but... I get distracted along the way.

A fleeting image from the corner of my eyes, says that something was just standing in the entrance to the Core, but when I turn my head to look, there's nothing. I slowly walk towards the exit of the hotel, and to the path of the Core. As I get closer, I swear I hear whispers in the back of my mind, prompting me to back up, not getting any closer then the start of the suspended path. My eyes watch the door like a hawk, waiting for anything to show its face.

If the door to the outside world is my door to freedom, is this my door to oblivion? Or is it the other way around?

I breath a sigh of disappointment, as I walk back into the lobby of the hotel, grab the overturned backpack, get the dirt back in the pot, and go in to the long hall of dorm rooms. A cursory look in each reveals beds of wildly different shapes and sizes. Sometimes there are no beds at all, and just a stupid gag. One room just had a giant toilet, what gives? That's only the second one I've seen down here...

The room I settle in is the one with a big ass bed, like four kings stapled together. Was this for really big monsters? Then how did they even get in here? The door is still normal sized...

The bed has a similarly big red blanket, and fancy white sheets underneath. There's a small night table with a lamp, and nothing else really. Oh, there's a portrait of Mettaton on the wall, of course. I start by dusting off the bed, a habit I'm all to used to down here, before jumping in.

Where's Flowey? He said he would give me a minute, but its been quite a bit longer...

"Flowey?" I ask into the room, hoping he'll hear. "You there?"

I wait another minute.

"Asriel...?" I ask nervously, before getting out of bed, swinging the door open, and rushing down the hall, my shoes making pitter patter. "Asriel!" I say above room volume, still being careful. I run into the lobby, and look towards the Core, and see him.

He's looking into the blue light, the back of his head facing me.

"Asriel! Did you see something?" I rush next to him, fire brewing in my hands, my feet slide a bit as I make a sudden stop on the bridge.

"I was here looking for you, but I saw a mimic in the door there, it was watching me... and I couldn't move, almost like I was paralyzed in fear. Even though I was intently watching, it just... _disappeared,_ vanished into thin air..." He says, almost in a trance.

The doorway is still the same, blue light flooding out of it.

"I think its waiting for us, whatever it is." I guess, dispelling the fire in my palms. "I have a _really_ bad feeling about this, Ash... are you still dead set on this? It isn't too late to go back..." He asks me quietly, still looking dead set towards the door.

I look at him with frustration "how many times have you asked that?! I told you, _I have no choice_ , I'm not just going to lay down and die!"

"I just don't want to watch my family die again..." He sounds sad. "Well that would happen either way." I say, impatient.

"...Alright. Lets... just get some rest..." He hangs his head in defeat.

* * *

"Try to get as much sleep as you can. I'll keep guard." Flowey says, rooting himself to the flower pot on the night table.

"I'll try, doubt I'm gonna get much. Can I get that sleeping spell again?" I ask him, lounging in the huge bed. Back when I was sick, he would lull me into a sleep with a focused spell, as I would keep waking up with violent coughing fits. "I need to be able to wake you up at short notice in case we get attacked." He explains with no delay. Drats...

"You know, uh... I could have went to the surface and got your dad... and brought him down here." Flowey states, as I get comfortable.

I sigh. "I thought about asking that, but no. If I really do die, all it will do is put him through more pain, and that's even if he cares about me anymore. Not to mention how much trouble he could get if he was caught trying to come down here."

Flowey nervously laughs. "You too, huh?"

"Whatcha mean?" I respond, puzzled.

"Its a long story, one I didn't really want to relive, but... this is the last time we may get to talk... so..." He takes a deep breath. "I don't even know where to start..." I conjure up a sandwich while he thinks, and take a few bites.

"Ash. I want you to make me a promise." Flowey asks me after a moment of thinking.

After taking another bite of the sandwich, I respond "what would that be? Before I agree to it."

"Should you make it to the surface, in one piece, you're mind alright... please promise me you won't abuse your powers." He almost pleads to me. "You mean loading?" I ask, and finish off my sandwich afterwards.

"With that, and your grasp of magic, you could easily go up and rule this entire world. You said you felt no problem killing for your survival, and that you had no guilt for the death you caused in your madness, but I know where that path leads. I don't want to see another person make my mistakes, make _Frisk's_ mistakes."

I scoff. "How can I feel _guilt_ for something that wasn't even my fault! If those people think they can lock me in a room again, then I won't feel bad for them. I don't _care_ if have these powers, its only a means to an end, a retry button. Same thing with the magic, a means to an end. And I'm _sor-ry_ I can't use my powers for a 'noble' cause like Frisk probably did. I'm not making any damn promises like that." I look the other way from him, my arms crossed over the blanket.

"...Do you think Frisk was perfect? Honest question, you talk about her like you do." He changes the subject abruptly. "As close as you can get, sorry I can't have the world on my shoulders like she could." I say kind of upset this is how what could be our last conversation ends.

"Do you know what my very first memory of Frisk was?" Flowey starts, I start to pay a bit more attention, frustrated as I am. "Some kid in a blue and purple shirt falls down much the same hole you did, and I meet them the same way you met me. While I tried to kill you out of a sense of misplaced justice, I tried to kill Frisk out of an attempt for an easy Human soul, but they evaded my attacks with zero effort. They had this look of horror on their face, and I thought it was it because of me at the time, but it wasn't. My mother interfered, attacking me to save Frisk, thinking me just a random Monster attacking a innocent Human. Frisk stayed behind for a moment, and said something to the room, directed at me." He has my full attention, this is the story I've been asking for all too much.

"She said ' _I've tried everything else, I'm sorry.'"_ Flowey says on a somber note. "I didn't put much stock in that, I was just confused. Even more so when the small child, younger then you, started slaughtering every Monster she came into contact with, deliberately searching and searching for each one." I look at him in shock. "I followed her around, looking on in morbid curiosity, as she soullessly killed small Monster after small Monster. It went on for all of the ruins, until she got to Toriel's place, and I thought 'no way she'll kill her too,' but she _did."_

I look at him in disbelief, as he continues. "I thought, and I don't know why, that Chara had returned to me. Their essence taking over this child's body and soul, I asked them that, or rather stated it to their silent response, and then I formed an alliance with her. And together we went, we killed _everyone,_ but it didn't last like I thought it would. I _thought_ we would slay the king, steal his souls, then go to the surface and kill everyone there too... but I thought it was all honestly just for fun, a sick and twisted sense of _fun_. That after we were done our murder-fest, we would just reset together, and free everyone for real, and that I could live my life out with them in peace afterwards. But Frisk realized they wouldn't mind killing me, that even though I cared about them so much, I was irrelevant to them. I ran to the king to warn him, but then, everything reset. The next thing I knew, I was back in the ruins, confused."

"I heard crying, and in the room of golden flowers, was Frisk crying their eyes out. I was confused, was this really Chara? Or...? Instead of confronting the child, I just waited, eventually following them around again. They were a completely different person, she went through the underground with haste, befriending everyone, avoiding their misplaced aggression with skill, but they still looked really distant... I thought they were still Chara, so eventually, I was able to confront them again, and get all the six souls of the humans for myself, along with absorbing the soul of every Monster in the underground, when they all came to rally behind Frisk."

"At that moment, with the souls of the underground, and the six Human souls within me, I became whole again. I became Asriel, with all of my emotions and feelings intact. I lashed out at Frisk, saying that with my new godlike power, I would keep them locked in a never ending cycle or resets, so I could have that ending with Chara I'd always wanted. But I had my emotions back, and Frisk was able to weasel their way into my heart... That was when I learned their name, as they comforted me. They weren't Chara to my naive mind anymore, they were Frisk. With my last act of godlike power, I shattered the barrier, before returning the souls to their bodies."

"I held my form for a little while afterwards, watching over the grave of my old friend, the place you guys fell down..."

"That was Chara's Grave?" I ask.

He nods. "Frisk came to talk with me, and started apologizing profusely, breaking down, over and over 'I couldn't save you, I couldn't save you, _please forgive me_.' That's when it all clicked, this wasn't their first time doing saving everyone, they weren't doing it for the sake of bein nice, they were doing it because _I_ was the straggler. The one she could _never_ save... She said she had done the loop countless times, all looking for a way to keep me intact, and along the way, she started to lose herself, running out of ideas, she tried killing everyone, thinking that may have offered the solution she had been missing. She had tried just about everything, and was confiding it me. I told her to give up, and move on, if she kept wasting her sanity down here, it was only gonna get worse for her, I promised I would stay behind to watch for anymore children, and that I would come up to join her one day, when I was ready. That was a lie, but she didn't find that out, and now she never will. I wasn't gonna go up, and break my parents hearts again. They already got over my death once, I wanted to leave it that way..."

"I reverted back to a flower shortly after, and I waited, and waited, and waited. Then eventually, you fell down. And that's that. Everything about me is on the table. Frisk was far from perfect, she abused her powers, kept people in the same loop over and over and over, just because she wasn't fine, because she didn't do it perfectly. She-"

I interrupt him. " _She_ did it for a good reason, so why isn't it justified?" I ask with irritation, to which he responds much the same way. "Because it made her _distant._ She almost went over the deep end like I did, how many times did she have to go through the same damn adventure, to that even being the kind-hearted person she was, she _still_ lost her way and started slaughtering? And she still had her empathy fully intact. You have an incredible gift, and with that comes _responsibility_. I'm not lecturing you like your mom or dad would, I'm just trying to save you from a _lot_ of pain Ash." He sounds frustrated too, but concern is evident.

"What am I supposed to do then?! I will NOT go back to that damn sanitarium!" I exclaim with real anger, gritting my fists. Flowey looks the other way, the dim lamp behind him serving to outline him in a yellow light from the otherwise dark room. He has a puzzled look on his face, unfazed by my outburst.

"...What even happened to you there?" He asks me calmly as I breathe through my teeth. "I don't even think you'd understand. Don't even bother." I say, trying to calm down, but my irritation is still preasent. "Help me understand then you moron, you know everything about me already, just talk."

"Fine..." I say, closing my eyes.

"I think I described it as hell the first time you asked, and that wasn't an exaggeration. I was locked in a dark cushioned room for about twelve hours a day. Forced to be alone with my thoughts and madness, confined in a straitjacket, binding my arms, restricting nearly all movement. It was awful for about a year, but I still saw my father every week, I was fed on time, consistently cleaned, got a lot of time each week to talk with therapists, and interact with the other inmates. But then it got worse. I was assigned a new personal caretaker after my old one retired. _Gregory..."_ I say the name with a fake reverence, as I start shaking my leg absentmindedly.

"What did he do...?" Flowey asks.

I look towards the ceiling.

"He..."

I...

"He wasn't a very nice person..." I give an awful description as I choke up.

Flowey looks at me blankly with a small frown.

"He... at first, it wasn't that bad. He would just... fondle... me every now and then, and express annoyance at my basic needs. But one day, he..." I take a staggered breath. "He woke me up late into the night, and snuck me out of the sanitarium. In my confusion, I thought he was freeing me, maybe my father payed him to break me out? But no..." Another sharp breath. "He brought me to some house out in the middle of no where, with a bunch of his ugly friends. And they... And they..." I let out a nervous laugh, I can feel my eyes well up a bit.

"They raped me. All of em. For hours. I was their little pig." I take another deep breath. "I tried to resist, but that only made it worse, they beat me too. I couldn't fight back against that many adults, I couldn't even fight one." I choke up, I feel a tear running down my face. "After that, Gregory got so much worse. He started lying about me to my therapist, saying I was acting very violent to him, and that I was a danger to the other patients. So I got less and less time outside my room, Gregory fed me less and less, only giving me food when I was compliant with him, he got private sessions with me when he was supposed to be bathing me, all the while he was mentally torturing me."

Flowey continues to look at me in silence, his frown stays constant.

"He would take me back to that house as many as three to four times a week, so him and his buddies had a nice late night activity. They got to _fuck_ an adolescent little girl freak-show for no cost, with no remorse on the regular." I say with a nervous laugh. "I would be returned back to my personal hell at the end of all of it, a crusty, dirty, and sweaty _mess_. This went on for almost a full year, he and the madness eroded my mind into a nervous wreck, but I _never_ let him beat me. Even when my father stopped visiting, probably something related to him too."

I laugh another nervous laugh, as more wetness flows down my face.

"One day, when he took me out of the sanitarium, he left some stuff in his trunk. Instead of shoving me in like he usually did, he had to bend over to take the stuff out. That was when I had a moment of clear mind, and I saw his pocket knife affixed to his belt. I ripped it off, drew its blade, and with no hesitation, stabbed many, many holes into him." I laugh, but this time it isn't nervous.

"I cold blood murdered the bastard, I coulda killed him easily with a few stabs to the neck, but I enjoyed it, _savored it,_ and can't you say I deserved it? After the hell he inflicted me for so long, I, won. I rushed towards the mountains, the police caught up with me, but I very narrowly escaped, and fell into the hole that lead me to you. That's everything. Happy?" I ask, calming down a bit.

He seems speechless, but after a few moments, he gathers words. "I... didn't know. I would say vengeance is, uh... understandable in that situation. I'm sorry you had to go through that all, no one deserves something like that." He sounds really sincere... "Do you understand now? Why I can't go back there?" I try to get through to him.

"Yeah, I do. I wish I could have been there for you. If I knew my family was being hurt like that, I would of came up in a heartbeat..." He looks down into his pot. "I really appreciate that, thanks..." I say with a small smile, as I rub the tears off my face with my sleeve.

"I was probably vilified all the more on the surface after that. Gregory was a really good looking guy, and I was an insane murdering Monster, who were they gonna believe? I may not even be put back in the sanitarium if I go up, I may just be put to death..." I say distantly. "Whatever, I'll pass that bridge when I come to it. I'll have a long time to plan after tomorrow, hopefully I can find happiness somehow..."

"Look's like we were both dealt really crappy hands in life, huh?" He asks in a half sarcastic tone.

"Runs in the family..." I say, scooting down under the covers.

Its quiet for a bit.

"Should something happen to me tomorrow, please go up to the surface, and find my dad. Tell him I got sick, and you took care of me as long as you could. That its not his fault, and to keep hope." I ask him quietly in the dim light of the room.

"I promise." He replies with little delay.

Tomorrow is the end of this journey, one way, or another.

I will earn death, or freedom, of my own volition.

"Thanks, for everything, Asriel."

"Thanks, for everything, Ash."


	14. Chapter 13 - This Is Who I Am

THE NINTH FALL – Chapter 13 "This Is Who I Am."

* * *

This is it, I can feel it.

The end is here.

The Core radiates a low hum, and a steady vibration. The technology here looks futuristic, and very impressive, I can see why they didn't want the Humans to find this. The otherwise spotless floor is littered with a miasma of thin white tendrils, they spread like wildfire across the floor and up the walls. No doubt the source of the mimics is to blame, and assures me that this is the right way. The safety-absent paths suspend above a bright yellow substance, no doubt the energy that's being converted from the magma, as Flowey explained. Magical energy apparently, however that works. Its apparently been in standby ever since everyone left, enough that the underground still had power for the few people that stayed behind. Good thing too, there being power down here has saved my ass more then once.

We just came here after waking up, hardly even a room in. The elevator at the entrance was supposed to lead to New Home, but its destroyed on both ends, as was the precaution to Human back-trackers.

"I'll watch your back, just stay attentive from the front." Flowey sounds unusually determined, I think he's just really worried about me. "Will do." I respond.

As with most of the paths down underground, safety seems to be an afterthought, narrow paths that have lethal falls into the cores energy. I wonder how many Monsters died falling down stuff like this...

"Was there ever a problem with monsters dying from falling down these pits? Almost all the paths down here seem needlessly dangerous." I ask, trying to make small talk before the end, even though we've had this exact conversation before.

"Now isn't the time." He responds bluntly. Jeez, I nod my head and keep walking. Its fairly well lit in here, unlike most of the underground, which is a dark mess. There are no lights above us, but the energy stuff beneath us is really bright, and illuminates the path well enough with how cramped this place is.

The silence is unnerving. The steps of my shoes echo far into the distance, it almost makes me want to breath slower to try and stay as quiet as possible. The room stinks like a sterile hospital room, the scent of cleaning products almost. It feels like my nose hairs are being burned out...

The corridors are samey, and while there are forks in the path, they are blocked off by writhing white masses, leaving only one way ahead, one straight shot to a trap...

A turn, a turn, another turn.

Where are all the mimics? This place should be infested with them! I feel my heart beating out of my chest, expecting to get jumped by one any second.

"Flowey, have you seen anything at all?" I ask him quietly, wondering if he's similarly unnerved.

Silence.

"Flowey...?" I ask again, stopping in my tracks as I grit my teeth.

Silence.

"Asriel?" I ask through my teeth, taking off my backpack and looking into the flower pot, only seeing dirt.

Oh no... Is he...?

 _He's alright, he has nothing to do with this._

A voice echoes through my mind, but I'm prepared for it.

"Who are you and want do you want with me?" I ask to the room as I stare into the empty flower pot.

 _Come and see._

An uneasy moment to think, before I shoot up to my feet, leaving the backpack where it is on the ground. Back where I came from, there are mimics now. They stand still, staring into my soul. I light fire in my hands, prepared to fight them.

 _No purpose fighting, they are only here to show you the way._

"Like _hell_ I'll listen to you!" I exclaim, as I pelt a fireball into the group, creating a messy white and red explosion, spreading white flesh all over the walls and floor, before I run forward, infernos still ready in my palms.

 _Why do I keep giving you the benefit of the doubt? Time after time, my faith is misplaced._

 _You like doing things the hard way, so I'll give you the hard way._

Mimics climb up the side of the pathway, seemingly out of the cores energy, and rush towards me as I run, but are easily dispatched by whips of fire, as I featherfoot over and around them, avoiding touching them at all cost. My heart rushes, knowing any second could be the end if I'm not careful. The moans of the mimics rising from the core drowns out the sounds of my running. Should I try to load and regroup with Asriel? I don't have enough time for the focus a load requires, that's not an option!

One after one, they get in my way, and are burned away like the garbage they are.

I'm starting to run out of breath... but I have to keep going! The path seems to go on forever, turn after turn, where is the end of this? I land from a jump and almost trip, able to regain my balance at the last second, this needs to end!

I'm not wondering for long, as I approach a large door, with intricate grooves that make it look like a fancy circuit board. I quickly feel around for a handle, as my lungs catch up with me. My legs feel like they are on fire, as I look behind me, seeing beasts approach slowly, giving me the time to open the door that I desperately need.

After some fiddling, the door gives, opening from both sides, I quickly run through the door, and I hear it gently close behind me. Finally, a chance to breath as I slink down the back of the door... My entire shirt is drenched in sweat, my skin slick as I take the small break. I feel light thuds on the other end of the door, they're trying to get in, but not all that much...

This... seems to be the center of the Core, there's a large console in the middle of the cramped room, displaying many screens. The temperature of the core is visible, along with dozens of other statistics and gauges, all of which are indecipherable to me. Behind the console, in the center of the room, is a for once, gated off... hole? At the bottom, is more of the strange substance magma stuff, but it seems more volatile, constantly raising and falling changing in colors from white to orange. Whats the purpose?

 _Hello again, child._

A black distortion appears over the pit, a ebony transparent mass, that seems to bug in and out of reality, just what am I dealing with? I grit my fists.

"I'M HERE, WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME?!" I shout at it, completely out of patience.

The voice gets louder.

 _Now, now... Don't get_ _ **LOUD**_ _with me._

The voice echos in the small room, ringing in my ears.

 _This won't do. I need to speak to you, on my terms._

"What are you talking about? You're right there!" I say, seething with frustration, my fists still curled with magic. My gut says it won't work to just attack the distortion, so I hold back.

 _You need to come to my... home. Outside, in the halls._

The voice cracks multiple times, its not stable.

 _Come down here... Make. Haste. Or you won't get the chance to do it on your own._

The distortion falls slowly falls into the pit, fading away into the Core energy.

What?

"I'm not going down there!" I shout at the pit, but there's no response. "Damn it!" I shout, my head drenched in sweat, dripping down on my alight hand.

A loud noise behind me, I shoot my head towards the door, only to see mimics skulking their way into the room, flowing like living water through the entrance.

Shit...

I shoot a steady torrent of fire into the door, and while it downs the first of the beasts easily, two more climb over its corpse, and with every kill, two take its place, the doorway contains just a melted pile of flesh, but they just keep coming.

Eventually, they start to overwhelm me, putting me into desperation, as they start to attack me from different angles.

I need to go, I need to-

One of the beasts jumps at me, and while I strike it down with a quickly conjured energy spear, it was too close for comfort.

Damn it! I have to get out of here!

I wait for a lull in the action, then quickly turn around and jump in the core pit, with no hesitation. I'll take my luck with a death in the core then a injury from one of the beasts, worst case scenario, I can reset on death, and plan things out again with Flowey.

The fall feels longer then it should, and eventually leads to a distant feeling, as my vision cuts to black...

You wanted me? You're gonna get more then you can handle.

* * *

a feeling of distance

* * *

where am i?

* * *

its as if i've been shattered

* * *

into a million pieces

* * *

and reassembled

* * *

again

* * *

but eventually

* * *

i come to

* * *

An overwhelming sense of nausea, I'd double over if I could.

What...

What is this place?

I don't even feel myself. I can only hear my own thoughts.

All I can see is a black void, but the deep dark is occasionally interrupted by strange visions...

Strange, strange things...

Flashes of corridors from all around the underground.

Filled with children, not too unlike myself. Filled with monsters, many of the same, or the same with different attributes... A hall of mirrors.

So many striped shirts... So many skeletons... So many boss monsters... Its all the same, or is any of it?

Am I dead?

Is this heaven? Or hell? Purgatory?

Or something different?

I try to move around, but I still can't feel anything...

I keep watching the visions, allured by their oddities.

That's Frisk, isn't it? I'd not imagine her to look like that, but it makes sense on sight. She always had this infectious confidence, and I see that in this young child too. The same short hair, but this ones got a really blank stare, she used to look like that in conversation all the time... Wait... that means that's Toriel? She looks so young! Crap, that means I'm, or was wearing one of her old robes? I look down to check instinctively, but there's nothing... I try to panic, but it does no good. I return to watching the visions after settling down.

I don't know how I didn't recognize them at a first glance, but yeah, I can see her meet both Sans and Papyrus. They look the same, but dress a lot sloppier then the few times I met them. I see them interacting with Frisk, but its hard to focus... And the details keep changing, one second the skeletons will look or act completely different, be something I don't recognize at all. But then they're back to normal. Is that Snowdin? It looks so much nicer then what I went through... It looks so lively and cozy, not the frozen deathtrap I saw.

Eventually, the Frisks makes it to Waterfall, and meet up with a knight in armor that tries to kill her. This goes on for a while, she meets more of the locals... Is that even Frisk? Sometimes she looks like a he, or something in between. Its so strange... That's still Frisk, but its not the one I know... Oh! The knight in armor was Undyne! She looks so much younger... What a looker! Its so strange to watch, just like all the others Frisk meets, sometimes she, or he kills them, other times they run, other times they spare the monster...

That's Alphys not too long after, it makes sense that was her lab. She was always so messy... Mettaton too? And hes just as much a jerk as I expected... This is absurd, that can't have actually have happened, right? It feels like comedy sketches... Game shows, cooking shows, news reports, is this all a joke? The underground was a goddamn loony bin! ...Eventually she arrives at the same Core I'm in, and destroys Mettaton... Or doesn't? Or kinda does?

This concludes in new home. Where Frisk meets Asgore, and slaughters him? What is this? Flowey turning into a monster? Or a Boss Monster? Wow, he looked damn good as an adult, woah... Its boggling my mind... Whats going on?

Frisk makes it out, sometimes with all the monsters, sometimes with none of them... What in the hell? A glance of a disturbing sight, Frisk walking like a mad person... Eyes totally devoid, emotionless, but with a seething unsettling feeling... Like how a hunter stalks its prey. Flowey is there too, talking with them? Flowey eventually goes, into that long corridor dark corridor I know all too well, and is confronted by a shadowy figure, something that's a near constant in all of these visions, but... Eventually they start to fight. I can only catch glimpses, like blinking rapidly, or a stop motion play, and... Holy crap, thats Sans! Flowey wasn't kidding, he looks like a beast! Its a total onslaught of attacks, with so many Frisks brutally succumbing, some grizzly sights to behold... Did this happen? There's no way, Frisk and Sans were chummy as hell! Eventually a Frisk makes it through, landing a killing blow, only to murder Asgore in a single swipe of their dusty knife... It cuts off after that, there's some weird stuff, but I can't really make it out... Everything is so fuzzy, like an old memory...

This all either repeats, or doesn't, going beyond into New Providence. But sometimes the city looks different? Or isn't even a city? Other visions repeat back to the beginning, Flowey is there... Sometimes he isn't. Sometimes-

 **"Its overwhelming, isn't it?"** A voice rings through my mind.

I try to speak out, but I can't, I can only listen. **"You've been watching for... A very long time."** I keep trying to get words out, but nothing, like my mouths been closed off with cement, or zippered shut... This is the voice isn't it? My mind starts to race, as I instinctively try to ready my magic, but its for naught, it doesn't work.

The voice sounds helpful, but foreboding at the same time **"Quite the view all the same. I've spent a long time watching these converging timelines, quite the life your friend Frisk lived. Enough so that so many folds of reality want to have their way with them. I'm even in a few of them, they generally don't get me in the right light, but it is entertaining nonetheless... Oh, you're not used to this, here, let me bring you to a place more... Suited to you."** The voice says, before everything around me changes abruptly.

I'm brought to a white... Room? I feel whole again, my body is here, although it seems fuzzy, like TV static. I can talk, and I can hear myself doing so, but not much else.

"Where are you!?" I call out, as I take in my surroundings.

Disrupting the white void is a collection of black symbols, and more keep being added by the moment. I try to read it, but I can't make any of it out. Where the hell is this?

That doesn't matter, I can see them now, their figure still a distortion, with a humanoid shape only barely visible underneath. I try to ready my magic, and I feel it ready! "You're gonna regret that!" I scream and rush him, my hands ablaze in anger as I rush silently through the white void, closing the gap!

The shadowy figure stays still. **"You're right, I** _ **do**_ **regret that."** And with that, an immediate feeling of pain, as I'm shot backwards, a feeling of tearing immediate as I grunt in discomfort, landing stomach first on the 'ground.'

I try to get up, but my hands don't seem to work. I realize and scream, the bastard tore my arms off!

"You son of a bitch! I-" I'm interrupted by a large weight placed on my back, my face forced into the coarse feeling ground. It feels uncomfortable, but even with my arms torn off, I feel no pain, is it adrenaline?

 **"I give you the benefit of the doubt** _ **yet**_ **again, and you still meet my low expectations of you. I'd hope you would have changed, or at least show a chance too, but Humans never change. Hah... You're very lucky I don't have as easy a time killing as you do."** They finish their tirade with malice. "Get the hell off of me!" I just need to- " **You're not in the position to be making demands, let alone do anything. I'm trying my very hardest as not to just kill you right now.** _ **Don't. Push. Your. Luck.**_ **"** The voice sounds sinister, but I think I need to listen for now. Why not just kill me now? Why wait? My breathing starts to become normal again, I need to gather my strength and get into a better position before I try something again.

It speaks to me again **"if I see you try something again, I won't hesitate. Play nice or play** _ **dead**_ **."** I feel the weight being lifted off my back. I wait for a moment before slowly turning off my front, and sitting up with difficulty, muscle memory tries to tell me to use my arms, but that's of no use... There's a few moments of silence, as I look at the distorted being with a stare that could kill.

I try to load, but its not working, just what the hell is up with this place?

 **"Your wounds prevent use of your power, you shouldn't have gotten hit."**

Shit... I have to stall for time, look for an opening.

Black text in the difference, in a language that looks so foreign, yet familiar at the same time... What is it?

"What is this place?" I ask as I take deep breaths, the voice waits a moment before responding. **"A place beyond your reality, a bridge between it and many others."**

I process what they say. "...What in hell is that supposed to mean?"

The figure seems to pace around in front of me **"Hmm... Each one of the realities you saw with Frisk was you saw was a 'room' in the 'house' that is our existence. There are thousands of these rooms, each of them a world, a world not too unlike own, but with things that are just a bit different. You were seeing those other rooms. The foyer of this house is the root reality, the foundation to every other room in the house. The one I am from, as far as I can tell at least."**

I let them continue, trying to wrap my head around their analogy. **"Maybe I'm doing a poor job explaining, I've never been much of a teacher. The bottom of the line is, we're in the hall, or the windows, the only way to see both in, and out of this house, and all of its many rooms..."** The voice ponders something.

I shift to get a bit more comfortable, essentially out of options to fight, but I gotta... never mind."And? Whats outside this 'house'?" I ask, still not fully comprehending the situation i'm in.

 **"This... is only a hypothesis, but my assumption is that our 'house' was built by something, or some _one_ far beyond our comprehension, and we're just entertainment for them. We're just fiction, no, worse, the base reality is the fiction, we're just _sub_ -fiction... I see them peering in on occasion, but I can never make out their forms. Even now, I feel their presence, watching us." **

"You're saying we're just made up? That everything I've lived through didn't even really happen?" I say, obviously skeptical, and kind of upset. I really hope this is just a lie, or something to try and get my guard down, I get my mind off of it to ask them something else. "Who the hell are you anyways?" I ask, attempting to quell the impatience in my voice.

 **"Does that really matter? I'm just a Monster who got in way over his head, I played with fire and got burned. I've trapped here for what has felt like millennia, but I feel I have a way out now..."** He pauses for a moment **"** _ **You**_ **are my way out. I need you, your body, and your soul to be free at last."** The near formless voice's words echo across the white dream-scape.

I don't respond, still feeling overwhelmed.

The white landscape... Black words litter the otherwise spotless area, in a language I'm starting recognize, but still can't read... The words stay constant, only increasing in numbers as time goes on. Its all so confusing...

I make up my mind. "Why do you hate me?" I ask him my voice distant. "What have I done to you to deserve what you've done to me?" I continue, my voice a mix of frustration and sadness.

 **"I don't hate you, child. You simply offer the best opportunity for me."** He remarks, then continues after my silence. **"** _ **You**_ **are the center of this sub-fiction. If I take your soul, your body as my own, I can free myself from this prison."**

I get mad, the pain of gritting my teeth isn't present despite my trying. "What gives you the right? What have I ever done?!" I start to shout, repeating myself.

 **"Child..."** The voice seemingly whispers. **"Let me ask you a question. Me and my dear brother used to discuss this all the time, but we had disagreements about it, causing us to eventually drift apart..."** He takes a deep breath, but I can hardly care over my own feelings of anger.

 **"Do you think even the worst person can change...?"** he starts **"that everybody can be a good person, if they just try?"** the voice tapers off. **"My brother thought that anyone could change if given the right circumstance, but I believe, that** **a bad person stays a bad person,** **and I've yet to be proven wrong. People don't change, they just change their methods. But maybe... I kept wanting to believe him, and I gave you chance after chance, circumstance, after circumstance to change your ways. But you didn't."**

" **After years of calling to you on the surface, you finally came. When you finally arrived into the cold of Snowdin, I had sent a creation of mine to dispatch of you, and bring your dormant body and soul to me, but to my surprise, you fought back with vigor, even in the harsh cold. I saw how you had just barely survived in the old restaurant, I watched you the whole time, gave you your belongings back, interested in studying you, giving you a second chance. Maybe the center of the sub-fiction could prove me wrong?"**

" **The stage for the experiment was set, I gave you a way out in secret. I trapped one of my creations, made it harmless, made it call for help. You found it, and killed it over freeing it. If you would have let the creation free, I wouldn't have harmed you again, I would have even helped you out of the underground, but no, you proved me right by slaughtering it. I confronted you via proxy, but you managed to escape, surviving an attack that would break the will of anyone, how you survived was an anomaly, even to me."**

" **It was around that time, as I was ordering my creations, that I started to feel a lot of guilt over what I was doing to you. I thought 'maybe the creation in the trap was a bit too dastardly of a test, that maybe if it was your first exposure to a creation, you would have freed it.' You managed to make it to New Home in one piece, something I didn't expect, but you had guidance from the prince's husk. I gave you one last chance, one last freedom. My attacks on you gave me a better window to your mind on the surface, and I watched as you went to the surface, and proved me right _yet_ again, as you slaughtered innocent Human after innocent Human. I became very angry, but still suffered with cognitive dissonance, my mind fighting with itself. So, I spoke with you during your sickness, and invited you here to talk."**

 **"I've been exploring multiple realities for a suitable candidate for eons. You were** _ **perfect**_ **, Young, gifted, and a cross breed, something that exists in so few realities it was really a treat to find that you were a naturally angry and violent person, and most critically of all, able to RESET... If I take over you, I can escape, potentially make it back to my original reality, or even to the actual reality beyond the house... I never would have been interested in you if you weren't a bad person, child. I hope you don't take it personally. If I'm going to kill you, and steal your form, I least wanted to tell you that in person, I just wish you didn't make it so difficult."** He finishes.

I look down at my fuzzy form as I feel my mind in a daze, before I start to get angry again.

"I NEVER WOULD HAVE KILLED IN THE FIRST PLACE IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU! YOU RUINED MY LIFE WITH YOUR DAMN VOICES!" I screech back, a primal rage within me.

All becomes black, as feeling of dread washes over me. The being gets closer to me, step by step.

" **Excuses, excuses. You know what you did. What was his name? Your first kill, it was a child, wasn't it?"**

"This is all your fault. I would never have killed him." I mutter to him, before I take a deep breath. The voices started, causing this all! Jacob Fischer... I didn't like you, but even you didn't deserve that.

 **"Oh...? You really _do_ think this is my fault. I know you aren't stupid, child. Is your recollection failing you?"**

...

 **"Look within yourself, child. Take responsibility for your actions."** The voice whispers into my mind.

Did... I really do that? My lingering doubts, fuzzy memories, were they...?

"I... don't... remember." I admit, ashamed.

They don't respond.

"Can you show me it...?" I ask him. "I need to see it. Do you have the power to show me?" I ask with fervor, I need to know this, it changes everything.

 **"Hm... That would require me to look through your mind invasively. That means giving your soul and body to me, if even for a moment."** They say incredulously.

"If I'm going to have prove you wrong, you're gonna have to prove that to me first." I say to them, with no stumbling.

They have a hearty laugh **"as bold as ever. If you're going to hand yourself to me like that, I won't decline... but how do you know I won't just fabricate a memory,or that I'm not just lying to you now?"**

"If you were the type of person to lie about that, you probably would have just killed me right away. I'm willing to take that chance." I say, looking up at them.

" **Very well."** they say, before my conscious starts to fade, him setting a part of himself on my head.

Every urge in my body tells me to fight back against this invasion, but I don't.

I can't, I have to let them.

I...

* * *

A feeling of distance through the eyes I have. Like being in the backseat of the car I'm driving.

I remember this... This is who I used to be...

"Be careful now students! These are state of the art machines, but that doesn't mean you don't have to be safe!" The teacher yells at us from behind his desk in the corner of the shop. A dull grey room littered with dead tree, the air has the smell of sawdust, as dozens of students work in separate places. So many different faces, all sharing the same boring blue uniforms, but with white aprons, gloves, and face masks.

Its wood-shop... This was my favorite thing about school, I used to make all sorts of fancy boxes, signs, and trinkets, it was what I looked forward to every week.

I'm making a simple small chest, maybe to put jewelry or other small jewelry in. I was planning on making it for Mom, her birthday was coming up. I had a real bad habit of forgetting birthdays, and I wanted to make sure I didn't this year.

I don't pay any mind to the teachers warnings, I never liked hurting myself, and being safe was easy. So many of the other kids would be absentminded, sneaking glances at their phones, or clowning around around active equipment. Morons.

Sanding and polishing were always my least favorite parts of wood-shop, but I wasn't doing that today. I was making cuts for the lid of the chest, the base has already been finished sanded, and varnished. This may not be the most efficient way to go about things, but I need to take a break from the boring stuff, and use one of these really neat buzz-saws to do so. I've been working on it for months now, pouring my heart and soul into it. I really want to impress her, I look upon the finished work so far, it looks awesome. Its sight in my workspace keeps me determined to do even the boring work.

I brush upon the lid of chest, while its still far from finished, it already looks good. I burned in an illustration of a sunflower onto the base, my mothers favorite flower, and I may do the same for the lid when I'm finished with it.

Its a slow day, but I'm allowed to work in peace, something that is never a guarantee for me here.

But I have a feeling my peace is not long for the world.

It started with a nudge to my shoulder as I was about to make a small cut. "Whatcha makin?" I hear a snide voice behind me.

My eyes roll, and I take a deep breath and turn around, after setting the chest lid aside, and releasing the pressure switch underneath the table, deactivating the saw.

Jacob Fischer.

A face only a fist could love, if even that. He's always antagonizing me with small bullshit, never anything physical, but always annoying crap just to waste my time. "Leave me alone." I say sternly to him, before turning back around, hoping to start to work again.

"You're not gonna answer me?" Jacob says to me, snidely, continuing to test my dwindling patience. I curl my fist, tempted to sock him, before sighing, and resisting.

"Not to you, no." I respond to him, he starts to say something afterwards but doesn't hear past the sound of the table saw being reactivated. Not a few moments later, I feel another nudge. I gently put down lid, making sure not to have it be harmed, even though its just a glorified wood block, its not something I want to have to do again. Once its safe, and the saw has been shut off via the safety plate, I shoot around again and put my finger in his face, right under his chin getting a little jump out of him.

"Don't you have anything to do then waste both of our time?" I say right to his surprised face "of course you don't, all you do is be useless, and make people waste their times trying to do dumb things to you. Dumbass, get out of my face." I lay into him, as he looks upon me with his dumbstruck face. I turn back around as he trys to fumble something out of his stupid mouth. Before I know it, I'm working on the lid again, a smile on my face from having told him off.

I'm not giving peace for even a moment, as a loud crash is heard, making me jump, messing up my cut. I look to my left, to my workspace, to see my beautiful box in pieces, _months_ of hard work shattered across my workspace, met by a hammer held by Jacob. He looks at me with this cocky smile as my fists start to curl in rage.

I snap, and give him the outburst he's been wanting for oh so long.

It was there, in a moment of seething anger, that Jacobs head met the buzz-saw, eyes first. In that moment, where I was dyed a thick red and grey for the first time. In that moment, did my peers truly have a reason to fear me. And in that moment... it was me who did it, alone...

No voices, no suggestions, no manipulation, only anger...

It was only me...

This is who I am.

* * *

Sure enough, control of my body is given back to me, putting me into a choking fit, one of the strangest feelings of pain I've ever felt. After my fit of heaving, I take a moment to breath, and to think, as I acclimate to the white void again.

 **"So? Are you satisfied?"** The voice asks inquisitively, standing not too far from me, they're not facing in my direction... I could try to attack him again, but... its not worth it, not anymore...

It takes me a moment to respond. "What kinda question is that...? Of course I'm not satisfied." My voice cracks, the voice turns around towards me, as I feel a wet sense around my eyes.

What did I do all of this for? I let out an aggravated scream as I slam the back of my head off the ground repeatedly.

"You're right." I spit in shame. "I haven't changed." It takes a lot of will and exasperation to get those words out.

 **"..."** The voice responds with silence.

I grit my teeth.

The form kneels to get onto my level, as I lie on the ground, only barely looking up to see what resembles a face.

" **While I'm in this space between reality, I can only barely see into anything but the underground. When I came to the edge of your reality, all I saw was a faint outline of you, who you were, and what you had done. I watched you with great patience, so when I had saw you took a life, I eagerly started to call to your mind, the only power I had over you from so far. I... didn't know the consequences it would have on your life."**

The voice continues, their voice still as lined with static as ever. **"When I showed you that memory, I was able to look through your memories, and see your life in full while you re-experienced your first murder. You went through so much pain because of me, pain no one deserves. For that, you have my sincerest apologies, I would have found another way if I knew. You saw the** _ **true**_ **nature of Humanity, through and through."**

"Whats that supposed to mean?" I nervously ask as I still lay back on the ground.

" **Look at how they've treated this reality. They ravage the earth, bankrupt it of its resources, kill each other to no end. They killed my family,** _ **our**_ **family, off of nothing but petty hate and flimsy religion. Look at how they treated you, you were half of them, and they had no qualms planning to put you to death, your father had to fight to get you into a sanitarium that was almost worse then death!"** He starts to get heated.

" **I argued with the king for so long that trying to to escape peacefully was a** _ **stupid,**_ **asinine idea, I told him that the Humans wouldn't have changed, and now look,** _ **I was RIGHT!**_ **Once I take your body, I'll go and do what that senile grandfather of your should have done long ago! I will exterminate every Human in this damn world, before moving realities, and repeating the process if necessary! Child, know your sacrifice will not be in vain, think of how many Monsters will get to live peacefully because of your body..."** They put their distorted hand on my shoulder, which I shake off.

"Am I supposed to feel happy that your going to commit genocide with my body? For someone who watched Frisk for so long, you didn't learn a damn thing from her." I say, starting to become upset again, but I can't summon anymore will to fight. I'm no better then they are...

" **I've seen how much you hate Humans, why do you act apathetic now? After everything they've done to you! Look at how your Human mother abandoned you!"**

I wince, his words striking true. Almost every Human I've met has been nothing but bad to me, Frisk was the only Human I had ever met who was always kind to me. Racists, bullies, abusers... all of them.

The being reads my mind again. **"So you agree with me?"**

A moment of hesitation, as I choose my words.

"I... I do." I admit. "But this is going to far, there are good people out there, people like Frisk. I can't stop you, but I beg of you, please don't do this." I speak up to them, hoping to change their mind.

" **I know there are good people, there are always variables in any sample size. As much as I want to allow a few of those variables to live, that just isn't an option. The survivors would grow to hate their new Monster rulers, and they are still much too strong. Even if I take away their ability to breed, it would only end with an empty earth."**

They have this all planned out...

I want to be okay with this, but... it makes my heart heavy. This is too much death, it makes me sick. But I imagine it, a world with only Monsters, it sounds like... _paradise_. A paradise that can only exist without me...

"I don't want to think about this anymore. Just k-kill me already..." I stutter out, my confusion getting the better of me.

" **Very well. I'm glad you could understand the solution, and that we didn't have to fight. This is nothing personal against you. Its for the greater good, I, and the Monsters will always remember you as a hero."** They comfort me earnestly, before beginning to charge an intense magical energy over my head.

I swallow, tears start to burst forth at last, before I remember one last thing.

"Please. Make me a promise." I quietly ask while I feel the magic energy above my head.

" **Speak, if you need me to relay a message, I can do so."**

"Please don't hurt Asriel, even if he tries to hurt you. Let him know I asked you that." I ask in defeat. "And... tell my dad I love him, and I'm sorry- s-sorry for being bad." I finish, hardly able to get the words out.

The figure returns an empty silence, before speaking again.

" **You have my word."**

Someone, anyone, please help...

I feel myself fade away.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I wasn't good enough.

* * *

 _Somewhere else, years later._

"I need morphine! Right now, or they aren't gonna make it!" I shout to the busy tent, as I hold an older woman's innards in, her moaning mingles with the moans of many other pained survivors. One of the other doctors gives me a small, but sad shake of the head. "We're out?!" I ask incredulously.

"Cut them off, we have no choice. We've done all we can." They say to me, I can only barely hear them as I look at the scared and bloody patient. I let out a pained shout of my own, before administering a lethal injection to my last half hours work. Soon, the whole tent is just more corpses to add to the pile. My job has been more life then death for over two years now, ever since that... _thing_ made itself known...

After we leave the tent, the sounds of the outside become clear. A drab city-side moored by gunfire and explosions, all feeble attempts at stopping the beast only a few short kilometers away. They're probably getting ready to ship us off soon, to the next city the thing will attack...

I feel myself lose balance, before I fall to the muddy ground face first, only being stopped by my fellow doctors by the arms as my knees make contact with the ground. "You alright?" They both ask. "Of course not. These damn bowl heads have us worked to the bone." I say, the exhaustion getting to me. I haven't slept in over two days, with only awful MRE's to keep me going. My smock and hands are drenched in dried blood, having hardly even a moment to wash my hands, let alone my clothes. Its not just me, everyone else is in similar levels of dress and cleanliness. We are people of life, but we all look like death, and we've done more killing then saving...

Eventually, I regain my balance, and we all quietly walk towards the command center.

Soldiers afraid to die, civilians terrified, and now medics tired.

Humanity is doomed.

A god has arisen in support of a Monster kingdom long since past, a kingdom that wants nothing to do with the god. But the god doesn't seem to care, and has been razing the world, hell bent on seeing the destruction of Humanity.

Do we deserve it? Maybe? Who knows, this god is not one for conversation. When an a parley was formed with world leaders and was sent to the god through a Monster messenger, the God accepted, only to slaughter every single one of the world leaders upon the meeting, taking the easy opportunity as a chance to take advantage of a scared world. Hell, even the people off earth are already planning a "Noah's Ark" deal to save the Human race. Our last chance as a species is something that probably isn't gonna work, we don't have the time to make a ship that big and future proofed.

Every day is just prolonging the inevitable. I'm about to give up, honestly.

Heh... thats what I'm good at, aren't I...?

I need a nap...

A large explosion knocks me to the ground, I squelch into the mud. This isn't good.

I feel shell-shock, and voices through it as I keep my eyes closed, my ears ringing a storm, I gesture and yell to the doctors trying to get me up to get out of here. I'm not the one they should be helping...

Once I open my eyes a few moments, or minutes, later, I look around myself. Everything is destroyed... everything was just fine a few moments ago, what happened? I slowly rise, looking for anyone else, but there's only bodies.

I keep looking around, expecting things to change, but they don't, eventually looking down to the mud, where a small puddle refracts the light of a hopeless dawn. My face is much the same, mud and disgusting unkempt hair, but there's something else in the reflection, a floating figure.

I turn around, taking a sharp breath, and falling back into the mud.

" **What a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to find you here."** The god speaks a strange echoing voice. A Monster that looks like a Human, or the other way around. I try to speak back confused words, but I can't, I'm completely petrified. **"Oh, you're scared out of your mind, but that's fair."**

The being floats down closer to me, they have this haunting beauty to them, despite not being particularly pretty. They wear ragged clothing, including a white lab coat that matches their pale skin all too well. Their face has a mix of tired features and wrinkles, on a paradoxically youthful profile. They almost remind me of someone...

I continue to shudder as their blank eyes look me over, no doubt planning on my death. I continue to try to force my words out, but its still no good. I want to close my eyes and wait for the end, but I just can't keep my eyes off them.

" **This fear you feel. I wonder if its the same fear your daughter felt when you abandoned her."** Their words cut deep into my soul, clearing my throat for a word.

How do they know? Why do they care? Why do... they...

"A-Ash?" I manage to work out, as I notice the resemblance.

" **There was once a time this body belonged to someone with that name. That time has passed, but I felt due diligence to at least say; they missed you, and somehow didn't hold a grudge for the horrible thing you did to them."**

"I'm... so sorry..." I say, closing my eyes, letting my tears mix with the mud. One last regret.

" **I'm sure you are."** The god says before ending my life.

* * *

I look at my hands, clear, but visible even in my dark confines.

Years have passed, haven't they?

Still, I persist.

I wonder if _they_ know, that I'm still here.

My soul, my body, its no longer my own.

I get to see them make their wishes become reality.

They raze the earth, with unreal magics, in a form that only vaguely resembles myself. Every Human, man or woman, old or young, is slaughtered like clockwork. No remorse, not even a bit. Even the Monster community is terrified of me, but _they_ still continue. They never rest, only kill, in the name of "justice" and "peace." And can't stop watching every second of it.

I'm trapped again, another six sided room, only a small window tells me something exists outside of it. A jail in my former soul. I thought, that maybe death would be the end. But no, that would have been to happy an ending for me, wouldn't it have? Its not as bad as the asylum though, time seems to pass much faster when I nod off, and I can nod off for a very long time. But I don't, I need to watch this.

Because my time is running out, this worlds time is running out.

Only the last stragglers of Humanity remain.

Forced into hiding in the strangest part of the worlds, _they_ have to look around of cranny of the earth and beyond to make sure their job is done. Rebel forces gather, with some of the strongest weapons ever created, to try to stop them, but its no good. They have become a god, everything is hopeless, even if they _do_ somehow die, they can just reset and try again.

Regret is all I feel, as I watch all this pointless death.

I'm sad, because I didn't know this was the endgame, that this would end up not only damning the earth, but how many others will they do this too? If I had another chance, maybe I could have negotiated with him? Maybe there was something I missed... Something, _anything_ other than this. If I would have just killed myself back in the ruins, they never would have gotten to my body and soul. That really would have been for the better...

I'm already dead, and maybe this is the hell I deserve. Poetic justice. I'm a killer, I can't save the world, I can only watch it burn, with the stabbing uncertainty that maybe there was _something_ I could have done to stop this.

Are they _right?_ Is this reality going to be better without Humans? It probably is, isn't it?

But how many good people have to die to pave that road? And how many in the next reality, and the next after that?

Too many.

Too many...

I'm sorry Frisk. I know you would be really disappointed in me.

It'll be over soon, maybe I should just go to sleep already... for good.

* * *

" **I have succeeded. There are no more."** I'm woken up to hear _them_ speak, something they haven't really done often. So, they did it...

Downtown New Providence, the many high rises are in ruin, as nature begins to reclaim the once bustling city center. Nature is winning at last. Whatever remains of me watch's out the small window of my soul, _they_ look down on the Monsters. They think themselves a god, not only more powerful then everyone else, but smarter too. Hubris, but there's no one who can stop them, not anymore.

I can see Asgore, and Toriel among the many faces in the front. They look angry.

My grandmother shouts up at them."You fool! We never wanted this!"

" **The child often not wants what is best for them."** They speak with such arrogance...

My grandfather pipes up. " _You_ are the _child_ here! Destroying that which you don't like!" He speaks with a booming anger I've never heard from him.

They swoop down to meet him at eye level, many of the Monsters run in fear, those who don't, flinch. All except for the former king, who stands his ground, fearless to the tyrant.

" **You foolish king, you should have listened to me the first time, and this never would have happened. It was only due time until they killed you all anyways."**

Asgore's face falters for a moment, as he realizes something.

" _Wing_? Is that you? How are you back?!" Asgore speaks in confusion. Is that its name, Wing?

" **I thought you would have forgotten about me, like you forgot about what the Humans did-"** Asgore interrupts Wing. "I don't forget about my friends."

" **..."** _Wing_ is stunned, giving Asgore another chance to speak.

"Please... If you have the power to make this right, please do so, Wing. For old times sake." Asgore tries to reason with Wing. They respond with silence, as they look down, as if thinking.

Suddenly, a Monster runs from the masses, and jumps at Wing.

Instead, meeting my former body with an embrace.

"Ash... Why are you doing this? Please stop this..."

Its my dad...

Wing shakes him off, he lands on the ground with a thud, a look of hurt on his face, as Asgore helps him up.

" **You too? Hmm... I'm surprised you know who this body used to belong too, I thought I did well enough to change its appearance. Its no use, they are long dead, their body just made a good vessel for my self."** My dad looks stunned...

"You took my granddaughters body...?" Asgore asks, I can see his fist gritting.

" **What should you care, she was one of them. A Human, a murderer. But they were willing to give up their body in the end, they even agreed with my plan."** Wing almost gloats.

"We won't allow this any longer Wing, _make this right."_ Asgore demands as him and as wife make sure their son is alright, who looks sadly up on Wing's form.

Wing looks upon the massive crowd of Monsters, all gathered, all looking upon them in either fear or anger. They seem to contemplate a decision for a few moments, before finally making a decree.

" **I already have."**

They use a massive burst of power to banish the many Monsters from their sight, not killing them, just removing them from the premises, except for my father... He simply looks dazed, not even looking for any of his cohorts.

" **Gabriel Dreemurr. Your daughter wanted me to tell you that she loved you, and that she was sorry for being a killer. You are a good man, one worthy... of your fathers title. You would have made an excellent king, I'm sorry for the circumstances life has dealt you."** Wing fulfills a promise made to me...

"You've taken everything else from me already, you killed my daughter, you killed my job, you killed my friends, you killed my wife... so take my life too, you monster." My father says blankly, looking down at his feet. It breaks my heart seeing him like this...

" **I'm... sorry for the grief you suffer. Live past it."** Wing decrees, before vanishing my Father from his sight, surely amongst the other Monsters.

The float up a bit higher, looking upon the empty displays of the city, having not been powered for a long time. A floating apocalypse... A dead world in their wake.

They grit their fists.

The people they tried to save think them a villain.

Wing seems to float here for a long time, pondering again. When are they going to leave, to the next reality? Or are th

"What are you looking to accomplish here?" A familiar voice calls to Wing.

Wing looks down, panning their head for a person, but they don't find one.

Only a lone flower among the cement.

Asriel...

" **You. What do you sprout from your burrow for?"** Wing asks them, a bit of irration present.

"I just want closure, before I destroy you." Flowey says firmly.

Wing lets loose a hysterical laugh.

" **I accomplished my goal. I saved Monsters, I returned to reality. What are _you_ looking to accomplish, prince?"**

"You need to let go. This world was perfectly well off without you playing god. But who knows, it takes a hypocrite to know a hypocrite. You killed my niece, so I'm going to make sure her body can rest in peace too." He speaks as if its no big deal...

" **And how do you plan on doing that?"**

"Heehee. You're not the only one who can kill a few Humans."

Seven souls erupt from Flowey's form, before coalescing back into him.

No... you won't win, get out of here Asriel! I try to cry out to them, but its no good.

Asriel takes a godlike form, like the one I saw in the mirror gallery of realities.

"I feel again... And I feel ANGRY!" Asriel shouts, floating on a similar level to Wing. He wears a black robe emblazon with a delta rune, his adult face a far cry from the child with the same name.

Wing laughs. **"Very clever. Now, I made a promise to Ash. That I wouldn't hurt you, even if you tried. _DON'T MAKE ME BREAK THAT PROMISE."_** Their voice bangs.

"Don't worry, you won't." Asriel says, before readying a giant attack over himself.

No... Please...

" **What a shame. You haven't changed at all. Goodbye."**

NO!

Asriel's godlike attack is nullified in an instant, and Wing retaliates with a mighty attack of his own.

Asriel dies with a whimper, his power a speck compared to Wing's, his last face one of shock, and awe.

No...

I retreat to the corner of my cell, not wanting to see anymore. I cry blank tears, my only other request broken.

What did my life even mean? I caused nothing but pain and death.

Haven't I suffered enough?

Haha...

I _have_.

Time to fall asleep, for good.

* * *

Sleep upon sleep.

Uneasy dreams, but they aren't nightmares.

Until I awake in a cold sweat.

I'm in my bedroom. Its a white wonderland outside my window, snowflakes constantly flying down from the heavens. Nice and warm, underneath my blankets, protecting me from the cold. I'm sick as usual, but I don't really care. I'm comfortable, and I'm happy.

I can stay home all day, play video games, drink hot cocoa, eat chicken noodle soup, and talk with mom and dad. I could spend my entire life like this, in my comfortable bed, doing this same sniffling day over and over...

"Hey sweetie, you alright?" My dad peaks his head through my door, his warm smile does good on my weary heart. I nod my head from under my covers, only the top half of my head peaking out. My dad enters my room, and sits at the foot of my bed, before making careful not to sit on my legs, his heavy weight craters in the corner, almost disrupting my placement. My dad is a thinner boss monster, not like the tanky man his father was before him, but one was a warrior king, and the other is a warrior of words, so it fits. He doesn't have the blond facial hair like his father either, only some long blond hair, and the same soft smile.

"Your mother is downstairs making cocoa for you. If you need anything else, just holler for me!" He exclaims, before an exaggerated yodel, which makes me laugh. He pats my legs, before heading back to the door. "I'll always love you dear, no matter what." He says at the door, before leaving. Soon after, my mom enters my room with a tray, with a single mug on it.

"Hello there, I brought you- agh!" She starts before tripping on her way to me, spilling the hot cocoa all over my carpet, getting a small yelp out of us both. She seems to look really distraught about the mistake, eventually kneeling over to grab the cup. Tears stain her beautiful complexion, tears for a mundane error. "I'm... _so sorry..._ " She repeats to me, before she leaves, coming back shortly after with supplies to clean the rug in silence. "I hope you can forgive me." She says in the doorway, before leaving, not to be seen again until tomorrow, where we'll do this again, and she'll leave just before I say _"I was never angry with you."_

Everyone's coming over today, for what reason, I don't know, but once again, I don't really care. I don't want to question it too much.

"Hey sleepyhead, you look lively!" My good friend Charlotte is in the door. I smile at her presence, we talk for a bit, as she paces around my room. But eventually, its time for her to go. "I really miss you." She says before leaving, her mother is in the door too, and she looks at me with many sad eyes.

Everyone is here, even the skeleton brothers, Sans and Papyrus. They both come up to my room and entertain me for a bit. I don't know them all too well, and I don't even like them all too much, but they still treat me like a friend regardless. As fast as they arrive, they leave.

Undyne, Alphys, and Zelda all pay me a visit too. They are such a whacky couple, a bunch of a nerds, with a nerd daughter... We all talk about geek stuff, like new games. But they leave too, making way for another visitor.

Grandpa, and grandma, king and queen. Toriel baked me a pie, and Asgore came with a knit sweater. They tell me how they can't wait for me to get better, and all the things they want to talk about. They say they are sorry they couldn't have told me the truth earlier.

A boy named Asriel came by to visit with his parents too, he's a nice kid, a bit snarky, but kind. We play some chess together, he thoroughly stomps me, as usual, but I actually win a game today. I can't see his face clearly, a sort of fuzziness gets in the way, but I can tell he wears a smile with pride. He has a hard time leaving, but he has to too. He leaves a potted plant on my night table, its a nice golden flower. I enjoy spending time with him, I can't wait to see him tomorrow.

After him, a big slimy blob named Quill comes to visit me. He asks how everything been for me, and listens to me diligently as I go over my adventures. He comforts me in my pain, and soothes my soul. Like a second father, I wouldn't trade him for anything. When he finally wrestles himself away from me, he says something strange to me. " I'm _so_ proud of you... Live for you, and only for you."

Frisk joins me, but only for a few moments. They don't speak, only placing a hand on my leg, before leaving with a pained expression. I want to talk with them, apologize, but I can't get it out. Maybe tomorrow.

All my visitors for the day. There's no one else, its late out, and its time to get some more sleep.

But there is someone new.

Turning around in my computer chair, away from tapping of the keyboard is a strange child in a striped shirt. They've been there all day, I just haven't paid them any mind. They look at me closely, before asking me **"You know this is a dream, right?"**

"...Yes." I speak.

" **You seem happy, I haven't seen you smile so much before."**

"This is what I've always wanted." I say quietly.

They sit quietly for a moment, looking around my room.

" **...You... Still have a chance to stop Wing."**

"I'm sure I do. But I don't have it in me, I'd rather just be here." I say, turning over in my bed.

" **You can save billions of lives. Your mother, your uncle included."**

"I'm a killer, they don't need me. I'm no better then he is, and he's right, the world is better off." I say with a voice crack. **"He is** _ **correct.**_ **However, correct and right are two very different things."**

They get up from the chair, then sit on the often occupied foot of my bed.

" **But what do _you_ want?" **They ask inquisitively. **"If you could have this any way you wanted, this would be much different, wouldn't it?"**

"Of course." I admit.

They take a deep breath. **"If this dream is what you're content with, stay with it. But you still have a chance to live your life the way** _ **you**_ **want. It doesn't matter what you've done, only what you will do. Take responsibility or don't, do it for them, or do it for you, listen to my words, or don't. You're in control, you can make the choices you want to make."**

I sit up from my bed for the first time in this dream.

"Live for you, and only for you..." I repeat Quill's words. But those aren't his words, that's just what I wanted to hear... what I needed to hear.

" **So, what will you do?"**

I stare at a photo, affixed over my desk.A photo from an entirely different time, one before this ever happened.

"I'll try again." I say blankly.

" **Very well. I look forward to seeing the choices you are given, and what you will decide."**

As I get up from my bed, my room contorts back into the prison cell in my soul, and walk to the door. I start to push and pull on the bars.

" **He can't read your thoughts here. So think your plan of attack now, you won't get another chance."** The voice suggests behind me.

I keep pushing and pulling on the bars with all my might. I start to get angry, before getting determined. I'm gonna give this one more go, lets see how it turns out.

" **You won't ever see me again. This is goodbye, Ash."** The voice says behind me as I start to make progress, the door shakes.

"Thank you." I say honestly over the constant shaking.

" **You're very welcome. Good luck."** They say, before vanishing, leaving me alone in the cell.

I don't have time to mourn the strangers absence, only strong-arming the door.

"OPEN! UP!" I yell at the door as it gives a bit more.

"COME ON, OPEN UP!" I feel it giving even more.

Eventually, it slams open, and my vision fades.

* * *

" **What is this..."** Wing hunches over, grasping his borrowed stomach.

He's in the void again, for what reason I don't know, but I can feel it.

He laughs as he realizes, even as he keels in pain.

" **So _you_ still remain. I should have known you would have clung on to life." **He says, obviously angry.

" **Leave this husk at once."** Wing says, before I feel a weird feeling of suction, followed by an intense dizziness. I seem to gain some sort of tangible form again, as I land on the the empty ground with a light thud, finally free of my own body.

I slowly rise, looking upon my body as a stranger. They still wear my clothing, only with a long white coat. My horns have elongated to a disgusting long degree, and my face has all sorts of strange markings and my eyes an empty soulless white. I look like a demented horror B-movie villain, yuck, they have no taste.

I look down at my hands, and I'm nothing but a silhouette of my previous form. A ghost of a ghost.

" **Amazing. Even without a soul or body, you remain alive. Is it your will made real, or is this just the power of a realities center? Perhaps a side effect of this place?"** They ponder, with a finger under their chin, they look upon me with a smirk.

I look at them with a thousand yard stare.

" **So why have you returned? Looking for a fight again? You won't stand a chance, I'm more powerful then you can even imagine."** He says with a snide grin.

"I know, and I don't care." I say to him, I'm not afraid. "I'm here to win, I never lost." I remark.

" **Very well, you haven't changed at all."** They say, readying intense magic in their palms.

I smile at his remark, and ready magic of my own. Its weak compared to his, but whatever.

I'm gonna win.

Fighting for days.

I have to do so with attrition, predicting their magical blasts with perfection, only managing to get my attacks as they ready theirs. It only aggravates them, hardly doing much of anything, but they haven't managed to hit me once, and I've hit them with countless fireballs, spears, or otherwise.

" **HOW ARE YOU _STILL_ ALIVE?"** They screams with rage as their godlike attacks all miss their mark. they're getting tired, but jokes on them, they has a still mortal body, I don't. I can do this all day. And that's my opening, they are going to be too tired eventually.

I don't respond to their anger, only smiling.

I keep gaining ground, their attacks grow weaker, and slower as the fighting rages on.

Duck under a laser, counter with a fireball as I jump over a blast, and eek under a fireball of theirs. Rinse and repeat, just in different orders.

They take a break, deep breaths, still attacks at the ready, I think they may be trying to baiting me.

I sprint in place, waiting for the next attack.

"You call yourself a god? You're just a poser." I say to them with a smile, which of course, procs an angry outburst of magic, but its sloppy, and easy to avoid.

Between attacks, I see them kneel over for a cough. Now's my chance! Dive onto them with a spear!

" **You fool!"** They predict my attack, blasting where I dive from with a gigantic beam, destroying me instantly

Wing stands triumphantly as they hyperventilate. **"Foolish, I thought they would have learned."**

"I have." I say as I stab a spear through their hip, having snuck behind them.

What I _thought_ , wasn't what I _did_.

They stand still as they laugh between pained gasps.

" **I can still reset you damn child, I can still-"**

No you can't.

They stay still as I come around them from the other side, getting a look at their pained face, as it morphs from a defiant smile to a scared frown.

" **Ha... Haha. Clever, clever. No wonder you were doing so good. I thought determination was a trait of the soul, but I suppose it isn't."** I see them try to move around, but it does no good. I used a disabling spear, he took no damage, but he can't do a damn thing anymore.

" **Go ahead, take your body back child. Let me take my original form again, you'll find that I can't die easily."**

"Not really interested."

His face speaks confusion.

"I'm doing this for revenge. For myself." I say as I look at him solemnly.

" **Revenge for your mother? For your uncle? For an earth of evil Humans?"**

"Nah. For me. I couldn't care less about the Humans, your world sounds like paradise, but I still want revenge, _for me_." I say to them.

" **And how do you plan on that? I'm immortal, as long as I live, you will never have your freedom."** They look at me with a smile. **"Go ahead, reset to before all this. Live your feeble life out in the underground, as I send legions of my creations after you. I'll do this as many times as I need too."** They get increasingly heated up as they speak.

"If I wanted to reset and waste your time, I would have done it already." I say, looking over them. "I know, or, at least I can guess, there's only _ONE_ way I can beat you."

" **I'm listening."** Wing says with an angry curiosity.

I retract my energy spear, allowing him movement again, much to their confusion, before they ready themselves once more.

I slowly walk towards them, as they prepare more intense magic in their palms, ready to strike me down at any moment.

I grab their palm slowly, and place it on my head, I feel the magic make me dizzy.

I get on my knees, keeping his palm on my head as they stand over me, their face still one of curiosity, and confusion.

"I've done bad things in my life. This is me letting go, this is me taking responsibility for it. Kill me now, I won't reset, I'll accept it. You keep my body, you keep my soul. You'll never see me again."

I close my eyes, I shake a bit. Its taking all my will to do this, but its the only way. The best reward for the risk.

"I win." I say with a crack of a smile. "Cuz I've changed."

I feel the magic in my forehead intensify.

A smile despite my tears.

I can't save this reality, but I know, I can the others by doing this. But that's besides the point, I can win in the end. Be the one they couldn't kill like all the rest.

"Just d-do it already." I say nervously as I still feel dizzy from the magic.

Wing begins to laugh, almost like they've lost their mind. I start to quiver more, hoping that they are the type of person I hope they are. One willing to admit defeat, that after they take care of me, they rethink their plans, maybe even back out of them. I'll lose this battle, but hopefully, I'll win this war.

My hands grip as hard as they can, holding his hands in place. "Just kill me!" I shout as they begin to laugh.

Their boisterous laughing turns increasingly uneasy, I can feel their hand begin to shake, their clean shot to my head gone. I firmly hold them in place, putting my absent forehead into his palms.

I would puke if I could, my head feels like its going to explode... even more then his first time killing me, cuz this time, I know whats on the line, and I want to win. I won't know if I've truly won, but...

"COME ON!" I scream through tears. What are they hesitating for? I'm just another Human to add to the pile.

They suddenly stop laughing, putting their arm to their side, after forcing my arms off.

Are they toying with me? Or...?

A disappointed sigh. **"This has been... _Quite_ the result."**

I open my eyes, and look up, he's facing the other way, towards the many white walls of this strange place.

"Why aren't you killing me, isn't this what you wanted?" I ask, its my turn to be confused. My hearts still rushing...

" **I got something better. I was proven wrong, congratulations, child. You're right, you won."** They sit on the white floor, with crossed legs. **"Get out of here, before I change my mind."** Wing says, before parting from my body, it slinks back with a thud as their strange form bursts.

I anxiously approach the live corpse, I instinctively get back into the body like a coffin, and after a moment of nauseating dizziness, I regain control of it.

I feel around with my my new, older body. I feel very... powerful, just all around stronger. The absent form of Wing still sits in place, a few meters away.

A smile sneaks its way onto my face. This... went better than I could have possibly imagined.

* * *

"Thank you... you didn't have to give me my body back." I say as I sit down next to them. They don't respond.

I take a breath, looking into the distance with the person.

"What are you gonna do now?" I ask, my voice sounds foreign to me now. Ugh, I can't wait to be out of here...

" **THEN JUST _LEAVE_." **His voice booms, making me jump. "I was just trying to be nice, jeez..." I say in a pout.

We sit still for a little while, this place still so strange to me. My heart settles, I realize I'm free to go, but- **"You** _ **are**_ **free. Just go already, leave me be. Don't rub your victory in."**

"Answer my question, and I'll be gone." I say firmly.

They stay silent for a bit, again.

A scoff, before they talk **"I've been here so long, and here I must remain until I find another way out."** They state after some contemplation.

"You can't die here, huh?"

" **No. I'm trapped in this prison of a body in this prison of a world."** I hear the exhaustion in their voice.

I curl my fist, knowing full well the pain they live.

I sigh. "I ...know you may not want to wait, but one day, when I grow old and frail, I'll come back and give you a chance to live outside this hell, even if its just a few years."

Looking at Wing is like looking at a mirror, in a strange kinda way.

" **..."** They look down into their lap. **"What do you want in return?"** They ask, panning their head back to me.

"Its not gonna cost me anything, just take the offer. I get to live my life, you get to live a bit too. Not a big deal. Just... don't go overboard again." I tell him, before limbering up my arms a bit.

" **Why would you do such a thing for me? After all I did?"** I hear their voice crack.

"I won, and you gave me my body back, so it _literally_ doesn't even matter anymore." I cross my legs and tilt my head. "Underground standard, try to kill someone, fail, be their friend afterwards. I don't know about being friends... but I can at least do you a favor."

" **That's... very kind of you."** They mutter.

I nod. "You're in the same spot I was. Trapped, and alone. Keep looking for a way out, just, uh, try to avoid any more murder sprees if you can." I say, scratching the back of my head, making sure to get the point across.

" **My first lesson taught to me was that mistakes... were a chance to learn, not a reason to give up."** Wing seems to think for a moment after a deep breath. **"Child. What will you do now? That body of yours... you will grow to be even stronger then even I was when I razed the earth. That power may be too much for a single person to handle, how will you contain it, and make sure it doesn't corrupt you...?"** Wing speaks with some concern.

I shrug. "Meh, I don't really care. I don't see myself wanting to do anything other then live a boring life, I don't want to do political or vigilante stuff, I don't want to rule the world or 'cleanse' it, hell, I didn't think I was even making it out of here alive, so I haven't planned any further. All I wanna do is go home and take a fucking nap."

Wing looks at me in silence, before they laugh, and they keep laughing. Like its the funniest joke they've ever heard...

" **I look forward to seeing if you can hold to that."**

Lets hope I can... Nah, I'll be fine.

We talk for a bit, I learn a bit more about them, even if they don't want to share many details. They were a researcher, or something along that line. They fell into the core, and somehow it trapped them between realities, but being here gave them strange powers. But all they wanted was freedom, and they admit, maybe the loneliness got to them in the end.

My neck is sore, god, these horns are heavy. Growing these outs are gonna suck...

I think if there's anything else I want to ask them, knowing I won't get the chance to talk to them again for a long time.

"Say, Wing... You said all these realities and such were all constructed by a greater power... Does that mean everything we've done, or will do is already predetermined? That its all pointless? That we aren't _real?_ "

Wing sighs again. **"There is no way to know for certain. I'd like to believe we have free will, but its just as likely that you're right. Try not to think about too much, live as though you have free will, and that your world is as real as can be. I wouldn't have even told you about this if I knew you were going free in the end. This is cursed knowledge, but maybe it doesn't affect you. Being the center of reality may make things different for you, you may just be the only one with any real permanence... But we are real, we're real to us, and that's all that matters."**

I look down at my hands, grasping in and out.

"I'm going to get going now." I say, getting up, and getting my mind off fiction and reality, its all confusing, and I don't really care to be honest. "Check up on me any time, give me mind ring, and we can talk a bit."

Wing gets up with me. **"I will do so."**

"Before I go. Is there anyone you want me to relay a message to?"

" **Not at all, I already got to speak to the one person I wanted to talk with"** They say, with a small grin visible, even through their strange distorted form.

I look upon the white abyss for the last time.

" **Good luck, Ash Dreemurr. Thank you, for showing me I was wrong, and for giving me another chance. A chance to change."**

A small laugh as I think. "I should be the one saying that. See ya around, Wing."

I focus back to a time of safety, so long ago, and load.

* * *

Darkness, a feeling of comfort. I hear someone calling my name.

"Ash? Ash! Wake up you moron, its time to go!" Flowey speaks to me, I lift up my smaller arms from underneath the giant blanket, and light a small fire to see in the room. I'm back at the hotel room, from before the core!

I dispel the fire and lunge at Flowey, getting a yelp as I hug him in the big bed, spreading dirt all over. "Asriel! Its been so long!" I say with wet eyes as I rub him against me.

"What..? Whats your problem- oh... Did you reset? What happened?" His voice dips out.

I put his pot back down on the night table, and stretch my arms, glad to have them again as I feel my fingers and the rest of my body, glad to be somewhat clean again, Wing did not take care of my body whatsoever.

"I did it. I took care of the problem." I say triumphantly. "I'm free to go."

"If you reset, why can't I remember? How long has it been?" He looks at me with concern. "A... really long time. Be glad you don't remember." I say, thinking about his death. Is it better he doesn't know? No, I'll tell him everything, or at least, almost everything... "So, what was the cause?"

"I'll tell you on the way back to New Home. Its a long story." I say, still hugging him. He... doesn't seem to mind this time around.

"It must've been hell..." He mutters. "Nah, it wasn't that bad..." I whisper, taking the opportunity to rest a bit more.

I'm... free. Free at last.

* * *

I feel the cold breeze, early winter breeze, in the exit to the underground.

I stayed in New Home for one last night. Me and Asriel talked at lengths at what happened, about everything, about how I lost at first, to how Wing razed the earth with my body and powers, my long sleep afterwards, before I managed to turn the tables on him. I... left out some things, like everything about realities, fictions, centers, all and that junk, so I had to change the story up, just a bit. I asked him if he knew anything about any Monster named Wing, and he didn't, strangely enough. I wonder who he was, really...

All the mimics were gone, even the giant one in New Home. Wing seems to have kept his end up, so I should be fine to leave...

"You sure you'll be fine to leave...?" Flowey asks, with a lingering tone of regret, sadness, or maybe disappointment.

"A hundred percent." I say, as my clothing flops around in the wind. Its cold, but I'll be alright. It should be around late November or so, if my memory serves correct.

"Hey... can I ask you a favor?" Asriel asks me. "Only if you can do one for me." I say and look back to him, as he's set in the dirt again.

"Whats that...?" He says meekly. "There are some things I need to take care of, alone. Wait for me back at the beginning of the ruins, until I can return properly. I may be a while, but I'll be back. And then we'll come back out together!" I say triumphantly.

"..." He looks away. "So, what did you want to ask?" I ask him with a smile, sure that he's just sad to see me go.

"Never mind... I'll wait to ask, till another day. I don't want to ruin today for you." he mutters. I take a few steps forward, the light of the outside such a breath of fresh air, before turning back to him again.

"Nothing would ruin today, so you sure? I may not be back for a while." I ask, my smile fading a bit.

He looks away a bit. "I'm sure. I'll wait for you." I hope he's alright... I asked him if he wanted to come up still, and he refused still, saying that he needs time.

I take a few steps forward, I can start to feel the breeze. I look back and smile. "Thanks for everything Asriel. I love you, I hope you know that, even if you can't love me back." I say, topping off the sappy goodbye.

He looks shocked. "I..." his face looks very pained, as he tries to force words out. "See you soon, Ash. Goodbye." He speaks up this time.

I bear a toothy grin. "Yeah. See ya soon." I turn around, and run out of the underground, leaving my family, no, my _friend_ behind. I'll be back for you, I promise.

* * *

As I step outside, I'm assaulted by an early morning chill.

Over the white tipped mountain range of Ebott, the city of New Providence has a pleasant air to it, it lives on like always, filled with people that have no idea at what happened, and what could have been. Good. A light snowfall punctuates the view with beautiful promise, as the sun rises.

I'm distracted for a moment, but I hear someone yell at me from my right. I look over, my smile fading.

"Put your hands up!" I can hear a voice shout at me. I turn my head to the source, not intimidated. Its a security detail, a small shed is visible from behind him, its door hangs open. The guard points a gun, or maybe a taser at me. He's kind of shaky, maybe because of the cold, maybe because hes intimidated, and for good reason. I remember him, no... I remember _killing_ him, how he faded away to my fire.

Hes not that old, maybe he has four or five years on me, I can see a sweat on his brow, he's nervous, his hands on his weapon, as he points it at me sloppily. I can tell by the yellow tip, that its just a taser. He wields it with little tact, his hands shaking a fair amount.

" **So what will you do?"** A distant voice echoes through my mind, surprising me at first.

"I'm n-not gonna give you another warning! Hands where I can see them! I don't want to hurt you!" He shouts, I hear him loud and clear.

I curl my fists up instinctively, a fire brewing inside them.

" **Will you fight?"**

I swallow the feeling in my throat, my fist starts to shake, my eyes closed.

It takes all I am to relinquish my will to fight.

I put my hands above my head.

" **Will you run?"**

The guard approaches, and gestures me to get on my knees, I swallow my pride and do as he says.

 **"Or will you face your unfair future, head on?"**

The guard holsters his weapon, and fetches a pair of handcuffs. It takes me a moment, but I present my wrists, now I'm the shaking one...

" **Treat this world well, do not make the same mistake I did. Goodbye, Ash."** The voice clearly says to me, before vanishing completely.

The cuffs enclose on my arms yet again.

I suppress tears, this is no time to cry.

This is _my_ choice, and _mine_ alone.

I may be in shackles again, but I've never felt so free.


	15. Chapter 14 - All The Time In The World

THE NINTH FALL – Chapter 14 "All The Time In The World."

* * *

 _Somewhere else..._

A call on the phone wakes me up from an uneasy sleep.

I look at the display, the light irritates my tired eyes. The calling number matches New Providence's police department. It makes my heart stop, I know what this will be about. I let it ring for a moment, before gathering the last of my courage to answer it, knowing I need to accept it, and move on...

"Hello?" I answer, my eyes closed. "Hello, Mr. Gabriel Dreemurr. We found your daughter, please come to the station as soon as you can. We'll inform-" I hang up the phone, my throat stopped.

I knew this would happen eventually.

They found her body...

This... is a good thing. I can put this to rest, and move on. After Ash's funeral, It'll be a new chapter of my life. I'll find something new to dedicate myself too, in her memory. Mom and dad will be behind me all of the way, so I'll be fine.

We already have all the finances prepared for the funeral, she'll be buried right next to Frisk, and everyone else. There's more then enough room, as morbid as that is...

An empty feeling, as I prepare myself for the small excursion outdoors. I make sure to dress well, as always, after a quick shower, of course. I look at myself in the mirror, I'm obviously tired, but other than that, I'm looking... better. I'm not gonna let today defeat me, I'm not...

Its an average early winter day outside. A light snowfall makes for a nice day, not too cold. Its early enough in the day that the morning commute is over, making for a relatively event-less drive. A feeling of emptiness where I should be sad, but I've said it to myself too many times, this is a good day, because its the last day of a bad part of my life.

New beginnings, new beginnings... Focus Gabriel, focus...

Will they let me see her...?

Do I even want to see her?

Would I even recognize her...?

A red light gives me the time to rest my head on the steering wheel for a quick moment.

Breath in, breath out.

I look back at the intersection, making sure the light hasn't turned green yet. I absentmindedly look to my left and right, one person just waiting for the light to turn, as I am, and the other I catch stealing a look at me, quickly turning their head back to their wheel after our eyes meet. I sigh, and just copy him as well. Getting weird glances doesn't even phase me anymore, Its just another day...

Just another day...

Soon enough, I arrive to the station, parking my car in its visitors lot. The building looks like somewhere an old fire department would have been, as the strange shape, and very large garage suggest. Walking up to its front doors reveals the grey cement buildings relatively slick logo, "New Providence Police Deparment" is written in protruding letters made of what looks like a black marble. I've seen this place in passing a few times, but its really nice in person.

Entering the station, the lobby is fairly boring, and standard of any of the municipal buildings in the city. Some of the passing officers glances dwell on me for a bit too long, but I don't feel that in danger here. Hell, I've had protection from some NPPD officers before, in political events held here in the city, I wonder if I'll see any. A nice hello would go a long way for me today.

I walk up to the receptionists counter, an older man managing the computer, completely distracted. "Hello?" I ask to them, but it takes them another moment to wrestle themselves away from the display. "Oh, hello." They don't seem all that surprised to see me "hey Klaus! Come take the ambassador upstairs!" the receptionist shouts to an officer who seems to have been loitering at a nearby water fountain. It gets the officer to jump, dropping his paper cup of water on the ground, before turning around quickly and jogging towards us.

The young blond boy has a nervous smile. "Hello!" He exclaims, hands on his hips in a "I'm here!" sort of way.

I can't muster anything other then the blank stare I'm sure I've been using the entire day.

"Please take me to my daughter." I say. "Y-yes sir!" They exclaim, as he guides me upstairs.

The halls are clean, and well kept. Officers pass on by, some don't pay me any mind, some look at me strangely, some look almost _angry_ at me, while some just wave a small "hello" as I pass by. Eventually, we stop at an... interrogation room?

"Shouldn't we be going to a morgue?" I ask to the young officer. "Why would we be doing that?" He says, confused. He opens the door, leaving me confused as well outside it, as he holds the door open for me from the inside.

Is...?

A moment of realization causes me to rush into the interrogation room, past the chairs and the table set up against the one way mirror. As soon as my eyes adjust to the darkness, I see whats on the other side, as I put both my hands up against the glass.

There's an older man, grey hair... that's the mayor, and sitting across from him, cuffed to the table, in a red and white shirt, with white hair, and red eyes, is a young girl.

Its Ash, my daughter. She's alive...

I quickly grow a stunned, wide open grin, as I start to hiccup, and laugh through the hiccup, as I lose function of my legs. My hands slide down the glass as I fall to my knees, only keeping my head above the bottom of the mirror, to keep my eyes on her.

She's alive... my girl is alive... my little girl...

Finally, some good news...

"Jeez, you okay man? We called you to say she was alive earlier, but you hung up." The officer behind me says, but I don't care.

A laughing fit as I cry my eyes out, for one last time. Tears of happiness for a cracked heart.

* * *

It took me a while, but I've regained my composure.

There's a different worry now, but even that can't wash the smile off my face.

"You alright now?" Officer Klaus asks me. "Never been better..." I say through a voice crack, as I wipe my eyes with my handkerchief. "So, you were telling me... where'd you find her?"

"I'm not allowed to know all the details, but she was found outside some of the Ebott caves. She's getting interrogated on how she stayed alive now, though I'm not sure why... I'm probably not even allowed to be in here right now, but they didn't tell me that, so whatever I guess." He ends with a chuckle. I inhale a sharp sigh, did she survive in the underground? For over a month, how? There was no one and nothing down there! Unless...

Whatever it is, if that's the case, she probably learned things the Humans CAN'T know! I need to get her out of there right now!

"I need to get in there right now, they are in no position to be speaking to her without a lawyer." I tell him firmly. She won't know what to say and what not to say, especially when shes mentally disabled! "Well, get to it then. Apparently the prime minister is on his way too, and some military as well." I grit my fists, so, our agreements weren't enough...

Back when Frisk was bartering agreements with the prime minister, their were a few things they negotiated. Firstly, they would get too completely explore any of the underground to see if anything was up, as long as they never interrogated ANY Monster for any reason, to try to pry information that didn't exist. Now, of course, we had to hide plenty to even have a chance, so we let them see the underground, but almost everything was either destroyed, or made very difficult to traverse. We had to burn any books, any and all chance they could find proof of our secrets. If Ash was down there, and for that long, she may have found something... If they find out about the M word, Monsters could be completely screwed.

"Thank you for your help. See you another day officer Klaus." I say goodbye quickly to the officer, heading out of the interrogation room. "I got a date with some water." I hear the officer say cheerfully before heading out behind me, forgetting to even close the door. They really hire anyone these days...

I take a firm knock on the door.

…

Another knock, but harder this time.

…

Again, time is of the essence.

The mayor quickly opens the door, and closes is, his back facing me. "Agh god, what do you- Oh. Former ambassador Gabriel." His tone shifts from one of annoyance to one of disappointment. "Have you forgotten about the Eisanwald agreement? What were you interrogating her about?" I'm firm with the man. We've never been on good terms, I don't think he's a big fan of me...

"I don't need to answer to you anymore, didn't you quit?" He asks me with a smirk. "As of two days ago, I've returned, so yes, you do need to answer to me." He looks at me for a moment, before scoffing. "I am personally _very_ confused about how your apparently insane child managed to survive in your peoples' old dwelling for over a damn month." He points a finger into my chest, it really hurts, Humans don't know their own strength...

I take a short breath to choose my words carefully. "Personally, I am too, and we can talk about this another time. I'm concerned about my daughters safety, and I would like to see her. So please move."

"Very well. We'll be speaking about this again, I'm _sure._ " He ends sounding just as disappointed as always, before walking off. I turn back towards the door, and my hand hovers over the handle, afraid to even go in. What do I say? Am I still afraid of her? How is she even alright in there, she hasn't had any of her medications in weeks...

I smile, and open the door.

She looks up at me, her face quickly turns to one of surprise.

I try my best to maintain my composure again, but I can't.

"Dad!" She exclaims, she gets up from her chair and rushes me, and we lock in an embrace, as I swing her around me, before we eventually stand still, still locked.

Our paths meet again, at last.

* * *

I hug my father tighter then I ever have before, as I cry into his nice suit.

"I've missed you so much." I say through sobs. "I have too." He says to me, before repeating it, and repeating it again. Eventually, I break the clamp I have on him to look up to his face. His face spells exhaustion and grief, but... I'm closer to it than I've ever been. Either he's shorter, or I'm taller...

"Dad, I'm alright now. There's no more voices." I say, dumbing it down a bit, but that's fine.

His face starts to become one of fear and confusion again as he looks down on me, I know, just like with everyone else, I'll have to prove it.

I close my eyes and focus, and do something only a Monster could. Something me and Flowey couldn't do, but something that feels like instinct now that I know I can. I reach out to my fathers soul, and speak with him. Just a simple four words, that'll get everything he needs to know across.

" _I can use magic."_

And just like that his eyes shoot open, and he locks me in the hug again.

We sit against the walls of the interrogation room, my father placed his jacket around my shoulders as he has his arm around me. I have no problem being a bit of a baby and nestling up to him.

" _I didn't say a word to them. I know that's what you would have wanted. I know everything, probably more then you know to be honest."_ I say to him via soul communication, now that he's calmed down. Such a strange power, but very useful.

" _I wouldn't be surprised, I was kept in the dark. I only know the necessities that dad taught me."_ He speaks back, his voice seems very distant and almost hard to understand, but its probably because he doesn't use this all too much. " _But I'm so confused Ash, how did you survive down there? How did you learn magic? How are you okay now?"_

I haven't thought about what I'll tell him, especially since he's apparently in the dark about some things... Is it better he doesn't know exactly what I went through? Probably...

I make up my mind and tell him. " _Its a long story, but... it was hard. I almost died so many times, but all I knew is that I wanted to see you again, so I had to survive."_ Dad looks hurt to see me say that, as he notices some of the scarring on my hand, leading up my arm. _"As for how I'm okay... I don't know, as soon as I fell down into the cave, my mind was clear, and has been since."_ I boldly lie to him.

" _Is that how you got out of your cuffs?"_ Dad lectures me, but sounds really worried at the same time. _"Nah, they weren't put on me right, wrists were too thin. I haven't had much to eat recently..."_ I lie again, having forcefully melted my way out of them, and reforging them to look normal in an instant.

We spend a bit of time just warm in each others company, before he asks me a hard question.

" _So what now? We can plan a time and escape together, it'll be a breeze for you to get out."_ Dad already seems ready to drop everything for me...

" _No."_

" _Ash? You realize they are going to take you back to the sanitarium, right? Do you plan to escape on your own?"_ His mental voice sounds concerned and confused at the same time.

" _No. I'm gonna go back."_ Its still hard to say it, but I manage, as I nestle up a bit closer to him, knowing this is the only time we're gonna be able to do this for a long time. _"But why? Why would you do that?"_ He sounds completely flabbergasted.

Because its what I deserve... No... Its...

" _Its what I want. I'm not gonna keep running from this, I'm not gonna make you throw away your life for me, I'm just gonna get it over with. I'll prove I'm sane eventually, and whatever happens after that, is that."_

He pulls me in closer, resting his head against my forehead, his soft fur soothes me.

"If this is what you're sure you want... I'll fight to get you out, whatever I can do. Just stay strong, like I know you are." He whispers to me, in his real voice.

There's still so much I want to say to him, to talk about, just to relax with him... but... that'll have to be another day.

"I'll be fine, nothing up here will be harder then what I had to do down there." I whisper back, but I'm still aprehensive about this, to be honest. "I don't want you to keep suffering, _I_ don't want to keep suffering. I thought you were dead until today, I don't know if my heart can handle this anymore." His voice starts to crack as he starts to rock me back and forth.

I find it hard to form words. "Its okay dad. Once I'm out, we'll..." I choke up for a second.

I whisper one last thing to his soul. _"We'll have all the time in the world."_

We enjoy each others company for a bit longer, before we're forced apart once more. We both know, we won't have this again for so long...

* * *

 **-2164-**

 **-Seven Months Later-**

* * *

A six sided room, back in the prison I tried so long to escape. The comfort of the cushioned floor and walls is pyrrhic, but it does well enough.

Its dark, and I'm left alone with my thoughts.

I hate this, but can I truly hate something I want for myself? I think I can, but I'm alright to do so, as long as I stick to it.

Luckily, my hands are free.

After I got to spend some time with my father, I had to go to court again, to answer for the death of Gregory, the sack of shit. I only regret killing him instead of letting him rot in a prison cell like he deserved, that would have been... better. I managed to get a bit of that justice though, and defend myself in the court of law, instead of just having a proxy like the court wanted. I told them of my abuse at his hands, and even though there was a lot of scrutiny of my recounting for fair reason, it still checked out.

They already knew that Gregory had wheeled me out in the middle of the night, and that was the only reason this happened, and there's no possible alibi he could have had for that, along with my accurate recount of his friends' house, which led to the arrest of a few of them, having outstanding warrants, some good luck at last. My father had no clue of the abuse though, I really should have told him in the station, but I was too overjoyed with our reunion to even think about it. I made it very clear to him not to beat himself up about it, that it was just... bad circumstance, and that was all. I would have preferred if he knew nothing of it, but it was the only way for me to get out of this rut.

I felt really bad for Gregory's family though, his wife and child were there supporting him a hundred percent of the way. Wanting justice for their dead patriarch, they hate me, how could I be right? The old me would have believed they knew, and just wanted to drag me down with him. But... Gregory was a deceptive garbage bag, I can believe them. I wanted to apologize, as pointless as it would have been, but the words got caught in my throat... That man hurt more people then I realized at the time.

At the end of it, I was just told I'd be going back to the sanitarium, the jury trusting my account, at least the majority. The old sanitarium headmaster actually vouched for me, unbelievably enough. I still don't know why, and he won't tell me.

So now... its better.

I'm still here, but I have a nice new care taker, Melanie. She volunteered for my spot, even knowing who I was, and what I had done. She heard of my court case, and what had been done to me, and she's told me she had been through similar abuse when she was young, and she wanted to be there for a young girl.

Melanie works with an organization called "Second Chances" that helps sick, or mentally unwell children. She can recount all the dozens of kids she's worked with, and how she still sees all of them every now and then. At first, she treated me as if I had the condition I'm still supposed too, but now I think I'm starting to get through to her. They assume me _actually_ taking my medication now without Gregory's meddling is helping me greatly, even though I burn the stuff up in my throat, but I tell them I'm better now, as little help as that does. Now, she brings me books to read, we play board games, and even chess sometime. The more I hear about her work, the more I'm surprised... A feeling of _inspiration,_ something I really haven't felt before. I feel like I want to help people the same way, as distant as that is.

I see my father every Sunday, he looks more and more exhausted each time. He's toillessly working away at passing equal rights, something he knows would give me a chance at freedom eventually. I don't get much time with him, but its more than nothing. I value each second I get with him, but it always feels like I'm asking for just one more by the end of the visiting time. I even got to see my grandparents for the first time since everything happened, I tried to speak to Asgore, but he told me to wait, that we could have that talk another day. It frustrates me that I'll have to wait for the many answers I seek, but... I'm glad I was able to see them again.

After asking for so long, and showing good behavior, my caretaker and warden finally trusts me enough to have my nights without a straitjacket. I feel like I'm finally getting through to them.

Now, I can jog around my room with ease, I can rest more comfortably, and now, I can actually eat something that doesn't suck ass. I conjure a small sandwich, its leagues better than any of the dribble in the cafeteria. Being reassured my magic still works the same as the day I left the underground is a relief.

The underground...

I hope Flowey is okay.

I miss him dearly.

What about Wing? I wonder if they are having any luck, in whatever bizarre place they're spectating now. I... feel bad for deceiving him, but honestly, I wanted another shot at my life. I hadn't changed then, but I intend on changing now, and I'll keep my word. When I am old and frail, I will give them a chance at life that I had to bluff my way too. Its a good thing I don't plan on growing old any time soon, hah.

It all seems so distant now... I was down there for less then a month, longer if I count Wings whacko-verse, but still. It all feels like a foggy memory now, but I can always look down at my arms, at that coiling scar that nobody seems to question, and remember that what I fought for was real.

What I'm _still_ fighting for, is real.

* * *

 **-2166-**

 **-Two Years Later-**

* * *

The moonlight shines through my window, dimly lighting my quaint room. It keeps me awake, as I look at everything, my small and uncomfortable bed, my desk, and a small dresser. All of it a uninteresting white, but its my home for now. Well, its not _my_ home, but I'm its current owner.

A different six sided room, but this time, I can see through it.

A youth prison.

Once I was able to be cleared of any insanity, I was to be placed here. And it happened after a year of being back at the sanitarium.

I can actually freely move around, go to the small affixed shower and washroom whenever I need too, and I have privacy. But I feel more alone here then I did at the sanitarium. I may have more freedoms as a person, but I have to interact with the other prisoners, we have classes every day so we don't lose out education, and I'm not treated well by my peers or teachers.

I had almost forgot how I'd be treated as a Monster. I'm constantly pushed around, and having my patience tested. And it hasn't stopped at all in the almost two years I've been here. In fact, its gotten worse, as I've grown a fair amount.

I get up from my bed, and lazily walk towards my washroom, turning the lights on makes me cringe, as my eyes have to adjust to the light. I hardly even recognize myself in the mirror anymore, and I hate myself.

My white hair goes longer then my shoulders, and is messy as ever, it grows so fast, and I have to cut it myself. My red eyes are the same crimson, though they are more tired than they are normally. My face is slim, but I don't know If I could be considered attractive, as the only people I could get an opinion from are my parents, and I can't trust them for an unbiased take. The worst part of me, is my obnoxious and telling white horns that grow from my forehead, from under my bangs. Like my hair, they grow fast. And I hate them, all they serve is a reminder of who I am, for me, and for everyone else.

Its time to shave them down again.

I grit my fists, before conjuring a small magic cutter, and beginning the work.

I start to file down my horns, slowly.

Its hurts so badly. I frequently drop my magic tool, it dissolves away before hitting the ground, forcing me to focus and make a new one, as I deal with the overwhelming feeling of pain.

Every week, I file them down to a stump, so that my hair can hide them, if even for a short few days. Maybe this will be the week I can make a friend, or even just have a real conversation.

I suppress a scream as I file my horns down, gritting my teeth as tears run down my pained face.

I'm done after a few minutes, a crushing headache taking its place, the sensitive stumps send surges of pain down my spine each time my bangs brush across them.

I walk back into my room, my bare feet are cold on the tile floors. This room feels like a decent apartment, in all honesty. The youth prison is more like a high school with dormitory living rather then the prison its supposed to be, but that's on purpose. Its for kids that have made mistakes, rather then adults that have committed crimes. But I can see it in so many of the other people here, they aren't going to change at all. I know that Wing was wrong, or at least that's what I want to believe, but its hard to see otherwise.

Still restless, I pull up a chair from my small desk, and turn on the lamp over it, and take a look at my journal. I started writing this right when I got here.

I'm starting to forget all the things that have happened to me. The memories that were once so vivid are starting to fade, so I need to document them.

Inside, the journal has the most detailed account of the underground, and my life before, that I could muster. Things about my friends, my family, and myself. A full history of the underground, all of its lore I experienced for myself. Drawings to remind me of the wonderful places within, the horrible mimics I encountered, and the wonderful friend I made.

The ink is smudged and illegible in some places, from just how much I've had to fit in here. Over two hundred pages of detailed accounts, so I don't forget anything. The hardest thing to remember was my encounters with Wing, and all the strange things I saw in that strange place...

He was right, I'm starting... to have strange abilities.

If I focus hard enough, I can predict things I shouldn't be able to. I know what people are going to say before they say it, I know if they are lying, and I know whats about to happen. It isn't magic, its something else entirely, like my ability to load. I try to avoid using it, but sometimes its just instinct.

Worst of all, I have this feeling that I'm always being watched. Like everything I do is always subject to scrutiny. Is Wing watching me again? Waiting for me to mess up? Or are they hopefully watching me? Or is something else...?

I close the journal, and sigh. I want to put my forehead into the desk, but that would probably hurt much too bad.

I should be seeing dad tomorrow. He's been saying he may be getting close to a breakthrough on the equal rights, his plans constantly set back by things out of his control. He's fighting just as hard as I am, and I need to be there for him. But its hard not to be impatient, because when he manages to do that, I may be able to get my original sentence renegotiated, and maybe be free. If he isn't able to, or that doesn't happen, I'm in prison for life.

But I believe in him, I know he can do it. He said last time that he could have me out of here before the end of the year. So I think about it, eagerly looking forward to being out of this dump. I would love to be out of here before I turn eighteen next year, so I can leave this all behind me.

I sigh again, and plop back down into my bed, the springs giving a unenthusiastic creak as I do so.

I'll be free... before I know it. Just be patient Ash...

* * *

 **-2171-**

 **-Five Years Later-**

* * *

Just another day, one of many.

A smaller cell then the youth prison, I truly feel like a prisoner now. A real prison for real criminals, like myself.

I'm twenty-two years old now, twenty-three in spring. Almost eight, full years since everything happened, ten years Asriel has been waiting for me. Every day I'm starting to accept I may be here for the rest of my life...

Every night the temptation to reset back to ten years ago grows, and escape like my father suggested. Should I have listened to him all those years ago? Or should I keep trusting this oath I made as a child...?

The first few years I was here were the worst times of my life.

If the kids in the youth prison were bullies, the people here were brutal executioners. I was beaten for my differences and my race, ostracized from any and all of the other prisoners. And unfortunate as it is, the prison requires me to venture out of my cell.

So it was worse, the same routine had to occur, me filing down my horns at every chance, and becoming a meek being, just trying to avoid contact at any point, for the same results anyways. Temptations grew and grew with every day, telling me to fight back, to just murder them, or at least punch em a bit. But I resisted, falling back into that cycle again, and again.

But it was one day, when I was trying to have a discreet meal in the cafeteria, where I snapped. One of the resident "alpha's" decided my meal wasn't good enough for a freak like me, and took the food, before smacking me, and throwing a bit of the foodstuff at my face. I jumped over the table, and beat the shit out of her, till her face was a pulp. And I didn't feel bad about it either, it sent the message it needed to.

I realized, I needed to stop trying to hide myself for other people. I stopped caring. I stopped filing my horns down, I started to defend myself when I needed to, and I didn't hide myself anymore, I made it clear if people wanted to push me around, I wasn't gonna take it anymore. And it worked.

Life hasn't been... _good_ since then, but people aren't antagonizing me anymore. I'm even acquainted with a few random people now, but things are _still_ lonely... All I want is a friend or two, not that there's been a lack of trying.

I still get visitors every week. Dad, grandma, grandpa, even Melanie, my old caretaker comes to see me at least twice a month. I'm always fine to see all of them, and each time, my father assures me he's getting close to the breakthrough he needs, though I'm starting to be certain he's saying that just to keep me hopeful.

This is... just my life now. The sooner I come to terms with that, the better.

* * *

 **-2173-**

 **-Two Years Later-**

* * *

I'm awoken from a basic sleep, and a basic dream.

The ringing of a shrill bell, an alarm clock for the entire penitentiary. The locks on my gates disengage, and open, telling me "get out." After a moment of stretching, I get up, throw on the rest of my bland yellow uniform, and get ready to go outside.

I wonder how Pete and Shirley are doing... we should have a chance to talk for a few minutes before we'll be shipped out to work. Volunteer work without the volunteering, as I always say.

Routine, routine. Start in the showers, go to the cafeteria, get some crappy food, throw it out, make some better food in the washroom, and eat that instead. Go to check up, wait in line, get shipped off to do menial labor for the day. Come back at night when I've put my hours in, relax, maybe read a bit at the library, go to bed, repeat. Visiting day is tomorrow, then it will only be a week til the next one.

But something is different in the routine today, I'm called aside as we're lining up for the bus out.

"Whats this about?" I ask the warden as they start to guide me along. "Head warden wants to talk to you." They mutter dryly. Ugh, I'm not looking forward to this. Every time I've talked with the head warden, they've really seemed to not enjoy my presence in their establishment.

As we head back inside, and go through the sterile tan hallways, I try to think up any excuses I may have to use. What am I in trouble for? What have I even done recently that would be seen as misbehaving...? Whatever, I'll just have to play kiss-ass.

Eventually, the warden and I reach the head's office. "Go on, get." They say, without much interest. The door into the office has a opaque glass window, with the guys name in black lettering. "Ahem" I clear my throat before going in, making sure to duck a bit so my near quarter meter horns don't hit the top of the door frame.

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me." I lie, but I accentuate it with a bow. Its the thought that counts, right?

"...What the hell are you doing Dreemurr?" The older man asks, obviously not flattered. "I'm in trouble, right?" I interrupt my bow by looking up a bit.

"No." He says in the most unenthusiastic voice possible, getting up. He's got a lot of stuff in here, like a wine cabinet, which he retrieves a bottle from. He sits back down slowly, and pours himself a shot glass full, he goes to take a swig, but stops when he looks at me.

A blank stare "where did you get that?"

I take a swig of my own alcohol, in a glass. Both things I just conjured. "Found it." I say, still not moving from my spot in front of the doorway in.

The head just shakes his head in confusion, with a loud sigh. I have a bit of a running gag with the guy, I like messing with him as much as I can, seeing as I see him a fair amount. I've gained a reputation as a bit of a prankster, and magic makes that so much easier.

After finishing my shot, and putting the glass back into my pocket, I ask "so, what _am_ I here for?"

"You're free to go. Go pack your bags and get the hell out of my building." He informs me, pouring another, larger glass for himself.

My stare on him becomes a little more blank as my jaw stays open. "What...?" I ask, stunned.

"Your dad passed equal rights last week, and got your terms reneged. Thank your lucky stars I vouched for your 'good behavior,' because frankly, I just want you gone." He says, grumpy as ever.

I can't help but crack an infectious smile.

"Thank you." I say, probably my first honest words to the man.

"Get out of my office please."

"With pleasure." I say with another bow, before skipping out of the room.

This is surreal... I... I'm free to go. I won't see any of the guys again, huh? Whatever, I never liked them that much anyways, I got bigger fish to fry.

The warden guides me back to my cell, and gives me a small duffel bag, which I pack my meager collection of belongings in. A few books, my cherished journal, and the chess board I made myself with rocks and wood, something that took me weeks of work to make, thank goodness for magic, or it would have taken years.

"You sure you have everything?" The warden asks me, before looking at their watch. "I do." I say, before we head to the main gate. The lot is large, and watched over by towers with guards in them, lest a break out to occur.

Its a beautiful early summer day out. The sky is as blue as the sea, and the clouds as fluffy as marshmallows. The sun shines a hot day, any past day it would have made for an uncomfortable work day, but today... its perfect.

My crappy prison shoes flop off the slick pavement, as the massive gate in front of the building opens for us. The warden makes a gesture for me to go, and I follow the command. I expect him to follow me, but he doesn't. The gate closes behind me, leaving me alone.

Alone, and free.

Am I dreaming right now? This feels too good to be true...

I feel lost for words, and lost of ideas.

The plains of the country side go on for what seems like forever in front of me, and on both sides of me.

What do I do?

Just as I start to feel lost in my freedom, I hear the honk of a car's horn. I pan my head to follow the noise, to be greeted by my father just getting out of his car, parked on the side of the road leading out.

No words, as I run towards him, and greet him with a furious embrace.

* * *

About an hour later, and we arrive back at my house. My... house? Its been... so long since I've seen this. Its so boring, and bland, but its my home. Same as I remember, if not a little worse.

My father gets out of the car, and starts walking towards the door, before panning his head back when he realizes I'm not following him.

"May I follow you?" I ask absentmindedly. "Why wouldn't I let you? Come on in." He says with a bit of a laugh. Its gonna take a while to get used to this.

I open the car door, ducking my head to not hit my horns on the way out, and grab my bag out of the back seat. I gently sling it over my shoulder, and head for the front door, my father goes in ahead of me, and closes the door behind him before I can even come in. What gives? I hear some rustling inside, as I reach my hand from the handle, expecting it to be locked, preventing my access, but it opens.

"Surprise!" A group of people shouts.

Asgore, Toriel, My father, and Melanie all have small birthday hats on, to meet the aesthetic of the room, streamers and banners everywhere, saying "Welcome back Ash!"

I can't wipe the frown of my face easily, but I do, and start laughing.

Toriel comes and hugs me. "Come on, we have a _lot_ of birthdays to catch up on. Ten! Ten full birthdays!" She excitedly exclaims into my ear. She's so much... shorter then I remember, no, I'm just as tall as her now, I knew I was tall for a girl, but... this puts things into perspectives. Asgore still has a full head on me, as he comes to join the embrace.

After I'm freed of my grandparents, I put my bag on the ground, and I go to my old caretaker and give her an embrace. She's a shorter middle aged of an African descent, still in her work outfit, and she laughs an infectious laugh as I hug her. "I promised I'd be here when you got out!" She laughs as she tells me. "I never doubted you." I say honestly, as I back away, and take in my surroundings again. In the dining room, there's all manners of amazing looking food, drink, and dessert.

After a moment of silence, basking in the smiles of my family, My dad presents me with a box.

"Just like _I_ promised. I cleaned these up for you, they should still fit you. I had to get the shoes refitted though, hopefully that works out." I know what he's talking about as soon as he says those words, as I sit on the ground and tear into the wrapped box.

Inside, is the clothing Flowey made for me ten whole years ago. The red shirt with a single large white stripe through the center, a pair of tan shorts, almost like cargo shorts, just with a few less pockets, and a pair of black loafer style shoes. I look at it with a twinkle in my eyes for many moments, before rushing to bathroom with the clothing, shedding my old prison work uniform, and putting the hand, or stem made clothing on.

I forgot how comfortable they were, they were made for me. The shirt is made of the most comfortable fabric I've ever felt, soft, yet sturdy. The pants are... well, just really good pants, but the shoes are divine compared to the old garbage prisoner shoes.

I take a look at myself in the mirror.

Even after so long, its still me.

I open the door out of the bathroom to four sets of eyes on me, and my outfit. They clap, saying I look great.

I can't get this smile off my face, it stays the entirety of the night, as we party on my behalf for hours.

* * *

The festivities end soon enough, everyone having their fill of the many foods and desserts available. We all talked into the late hours of the night, I shared my experiences of captivity with everyone, I had to skimp on a few scandalous details, but it was fun to finally share a lot of the things I had been through the past decade.

Melanie had no problem talking with my family, being a Human among Monsters still must be a strange thing, but she was a natural. Very understanding person, I wish more people were like her. There were some things I wanted to talk about with the family, but I couldn't really while she was here, but its no big deal, both the grandparents are coming back tomorrow, and I'm sure I'll finally be able to talk about some of the important things I've wanted to discuss with them tomorrow.

Now its just me and dad alone, we both sit on our big couch in the living room.

"Today a good day for ya?" He asks, yawning with a big stretch of the arms.

"The best it could have been." I say with a yawn of my own, they really are contagious. I would have never expected a day like this when I woke up this morning, hell, I can hardly even believe I woke up in a prison this morning. I keep thinking it, but... it feels surreal.

"So, what are you gonna do next?" I ask him. "Now that you've passed equal rights?" He apparently went to a big summit in Canada to appeal to the world leaders this time, and managed to butter them up enough to succeed. It was so much work for him, and I wasn't any help, his reputation was quite damaged by my existence.

"Keep fighting for Monster rights. Things aren't gonna magically change overnight, they've just gotten a bit better, a bit more fair. What ab-, never mind, its not fair of me to ask you what you want to do." Dad cuts himself off.

"Its fine. I... don't really know what I want to do. I need some time to think."

He smiles. " _We have all the time in the world_ , right?" He repeats my words from so long ago.

"Yeah..." I say, looking up at the ceiling, happy.

"I have the week off work, so we'll get you nice and situated before I have to start the grind again." He gets up, with another infectious yawn. "I'm going to bed now, you need anything before I go to bed? Still hungry?" He's been really spoiling me today... not that I'm complaining.

I debate telling him that I can make my own food, quite literally, but nah. I don't know if its a good idea to flex magic to Monsters, even if they are my family. I still don't know what he can do, but I'm sure I can ask this week.

"I'm alright." I tell him, getting up to match him with a small rest.

My father looks me over, and I notice how I'm only a little smaller then him, my horns are bigger, making me taller technically. "You've grown into a very attractive young woman. You remind me of your mother, when I met her for the first time." Dad says, with a distant, and reverent tone.

I frown. "Whens the last time you heard from her?" I ask him, sad at this shift in tone. "Since before the time you came up from the underground, I called her to tell her you were probably dead. That was the last time I talked with her, I don't even know where she is now. The phone number she gave me is out of service, so I have no clue how to get into contact with her. She probably doesn't even know you're still kicking." He ends with a sigh.

"I'll find her, I want to talk to her." I tell him.

He lets out a weak laugh. "I'm sure if anyone can do it, its you." He gives me one last embrace for the night, giving me a small kiss on the forehead, I feel out horns clack together a bit. "Goodnight."

He leaves me be for the night, heading upstairs.

On the coffee table in front of me, was a few gifts given to me tonight by my family. They said they needed to make up for so many lost birthdays and holidays, and they weren't kidding. I got a really nice new phone, some books, a new computer, a really good bike, a promise that Mel would take me out shopping for a bunch of clothing, and one I was told to wait to open till I was alone, given to me by grandma.

Its in a plain wooden box, though very well made. Like something I would have made. I open it, the pulpy sound of wood scraping on wood makes a brief appearance as I take in the contents of the box.

Hah...

A tiara made of silver, with a exaggerated delta rune as its flourish, and a purple robe of my own, like that one I wore in the underground. There's a small note in the box.

 _Every heir to the Monster throne recieves these, and though the title is mostly dead, this tradition shouldn't die along side it. Ask your father to see his heirlooms too, the crown is quite lovely. -Queen Toriel Dreemurr, and King Asgore Dreemurr_

I don the tiara, its almost as if it was molded for my head. I strip out of my shirt and shorts, to wear the robe, It feels just as well made, even more comfortable than the old robes from the underground. This family can make some _really_ damn good clothing. I take the clothes, and the box, and start to head upstairs, leaving behind my other gifts til morning. My bare feet feel strange on the cool, wood stairs. Any time my feet are cold, I start to feel nervous, I take a quick look at them. They are still horribly scarred from the abuse and the frostbite of Snowdin.

I remember their used to be a bunch of family photos along the climb upstairs, but only a few of them are still here now, the spots in the wall still dark from where they used to. I can't remember those photos now, but I do remember where my room is. The first door on the right. A wooden sign I forgot I made bears my name, telling any and all whose domain this is. I open up the door, it creaks in resistance as the smell of dust invades my nostrils. I feel around for the the light switch on my right side, I manage to flick it after remembering I need to reach lower down the wall.

I'm overloaded with nostalgia.

This is... exactly as I left it. All my old books, all my possessions, the same game in my game console, the antique game system on my shelf, hell, my old homework from the night before everything went to shit. Everything is covered in a thick layer of dust, a relic of my old old life. The only thing that seems like it was cleared any time recently is the photo affixed over my desk, the one I took with my family, and all of Frisk and her friends, I can see a few layers of dust were taken off of it by a hand print, most likely dad.

I set my tiara down on the desk after clearing a bit of the dust. I'm gonna have to clean this place up tomorrow... its so- "Achoo!" I sneeze, speak of the devil. I sit down on my bed, not expecting the amount of creak it gives me, but it does a fair amount. Ugh, this won't do. I take a few minutes to take the sheets and blankets off the bed, and pat them down as a makeshift dusting, before refitting them, shutting off the lights, and finally plopping down to another creak, using my regal robe as pajamas for the night.

The pale moonlight sneaks its way through my window, and despite how tired I am, I'm left restless. At first, because of how excited I am for the upcoming days, but I start to realize how little time that will last, as my legs hang over the edge of my old bed.

I'm not a kid anymore.

I'm an adult.

Its... been almost half of my life, twelve years since I've been in this room. Twelve years I'm never getting back, my adolescence, I'm never getting back, my chance at a truly normal life, I'll never get back. Everything important to ever happen to me has happened since I left this room the last time, robbed of so many experiences, traded for trauma and pain.

Everything I've ever lost, and everything I've ever had.

And thus, the happiest day of my life ends as I cry myself to sleep.

* * *

This neighborhood is so much nicer than I remember, its people much more lively, its sights so much more pleasant. My Monster neighbors stop me as I pass by them, congratulate me on my freedom and ask how I've been. I'm more than happy to inform them, getting into conversations with the people I've all but forgotten, before they wish me well, and I'm on my way.

Three things on the agenda for this week, three important things I need to take care of, starting with the least important.

My grandparents' house is a short ten or so minute walk away from my house. It feels so strange to be able to do what I want to. I starting freaking out this morning when I didn't hear the bell going off to wake me up, till I remember there is no bell anymore. I still woke up at six in the morning anyways, the rise and shine time drilled into my head. Had to wait a few hours for dad to wake up, so I just read for a bit. Finally got to have a nice breakfast too, dad made pancakes. Told him I'd be heading out to grandpa's house alone, to which he offered to join me, but I said I wanted to do it alone.

Soon enough, I come up to a modest one story house, its front yard completely populated by all sorts of gardens and pretty plants. There's a cheesy doormat that says "WELCOME!" I try to avoid stepping on it as I ring the doorbell.

After about a minute of waiting, and another ring of the bell, the door opens. "Hello- Ash darling! What brings you around?" Toriel greets me at the door, before giving me a short hug. "Just wanted to visit, haven't seen this old place in too long." She yawns, she must have just woken up, her fur is all messy, and shes still wearing these cute polka dot pajamas. She still looks good for her age, maybe the equivalent of a forty to fifty year old Human, the only thing that really gives away her age is her voice and wrinkles barely visible in the short fur under her eyes.

"Alright, come on in, I'll go tell Asgore you've come to visit." I walk in with her, and sit down on her oversized reading chair, almost sinking into its comfy depths. The room, hell, the entire house just reeks of comfort the way only a grandparents house could. Its a small house, but its perfect for them. Other then having to duck under every doorway, as the many scratches in their ceilings prove.

I hear another somewhat loud yawn, along some lights thuds. Asgore rounds the corner, and greets me with a tired voice. "Good morning. Good to see you again so soon." He's wearing pajamas with floral patterns, of course, and he has a cute little long hat on, one with the little pom pom at the end. He grew out his beard a lot more in the last ten years, it reaches to his chest now, the golden hair contrasting against the light blue pj's and his white fur.

"Ash! Do you want some tea, dear?" I hear Toriel shout from the kitchen. I've never been a big tea fan, but... "That sounds good, thank you!" I shout back, while Asgore takes a seat in another similarly large and cushy couch across from me, leaving a spot for his wife next to him.

"Its nice out today." I make some small talk with him while Toriel is making tea. "That's good, I'll need to water the flowers in a little while." Asgore pans his head to the large window to our right, the sunshine peering through the cloth blinds. "Want me to help?" I ask, trying to fill my schedule for the day. I got nothing else to do anyways. "I would love that." He says, before a meaty chuckle.

Soon after, Toriel joins us with a tray of tea. We all take some, then Toriel sits down with her husband, almost being forced to sit against him because of the indent of Asgore's weight. She doesn't seem to mind, as she gives him a small kiss on the cheek, before having a sip of tea. What a sappy couple...

The tea isn't exactly my jam, but whatever. Its something to keep my fingers busy as I decide how I'm going to start this conversation.

"So. I think its time we talk." I say, setting the mood.

Asgore and Toriel both set down their tea, before leaning back, this time not against each other, taking a more serious posture.

"Your father told us... You were in the underground for a month or so, and had learned some things, but nothing else. Exactly what happened?" Asgores tone matches his posture.

"I fell down the same place Frisk did." I say, immediately giving away some of what I know. Both of their faces show a bit of surprise. I ponder where to go next, but... damn. What do I even say? I don't want to tell them about Asriel, that would go against his wishes. I can't tell them about the mimics, or Wing, so what do I say? I mean, I can...

I take a breath. "Once I did, my insanity disappeared instantly. I was forced to make my way from the ruins all the way to new home. I had to survive against many... animals that had made their home down there." I have to line my story with lies.

"So what did you learn? You were in places no one was meant to come back too." Toriel speaks.

"Everything, and I mean it, when I say, _everything_." I don't lie this time. "How can you be sure?" Asgore asks, I'm not sure if he doubts me or not.

"I'm keeping some secrets." I tell them at least that. "But I know about what Frisk had to do, what you all tried to do to her, what _you_ did Asgore" he looks down towards the ground in shame "your first kids, and what happened to them, and the... M word." I use my dads term for it.

"I'm sorry we kept it from you, but-" I interrupt Toriel.

"I know. You don't need to apologize, or explain anything. If I came to talk to you ten years ago, I would have been a lot more upset, but I've had time to think about it. I'll leave the past in the past, the secrets are safe with me. We all make mistakes, I know because I've made too many myself." I finish, and get up to gently place my tea cup back on the tray.

"Atoning for mistakes is just as important too, even if we don't really have too, that I also know." I say, before picking up the tray with kinesis magic, and sending it to the kitchen, hoping it gets the point across. They both look at me with guilty faces, as I sit back down, and juggle a few fireballs, before dispelling them into a cloud of ice, creating a small snowfall in the center of the room.

I stop after a moment, and change the tone.

"By the way... Thank you for the gifts last night, they are both beautiful!" I say with a cheery tone, as they both smile.

* * *

The city of New Providence hasn't changed much at all, it still bustles with people trying to get to and from their jobs, and people looking to shop around. I look at the many strange people as I have my cheek against the car window, as my dad gets in and out of traffic.

"How did the visit with my parents go?" My dad asks as we're finishing up our day. "Alright. Didn't have as much to say as I thought I would." My voice sounds strange as I still hold my face against the window, it feeling pleasantly warm.

"Anything you want to talk to me about? I may not be as knowledgeable about the old days as they are, but I'd love to know if you have something on your mind."

"I'll probably tell you more then I did to them, in all honesty." I think about Flowey, I don't know If I'd tell dad about him being Asriel, but I may at least tell him I had help.

"Why are you keeping things a secret? If you don't mind me asking."

"Some really strange things happened down there, things that... still confuse me." I admit, hoping he won't pry any further.

"Please, I don't want you to deal with your pain alone. I haven't been there enough for you nearly as much as I should have been." He says, his voice dripping with concern and guilt.

"You've been there for me every step of the way, don't say that." I look towards him, I can see him gripping the steering wheel a bit harder then he probably should be. "Not when that bastard in the sanitarium was hurting you."

I sigh, putting my head against the headrest. "I'm over it." a halfhearted lie "I killed the guy, remember?"

"Its a good thing you did, or else I woulda done it." My father says in a cold tone I've never heard from him before, but... it makes me feel good to hear that. I hope he doesn't take this conversation any further though, I've talked about this sad shit enough today. I don't want to feel like I'm walking on emotional eggshells all the time.

The drive is silent for the next few minutes, I keep trying to take in the sights, and remember these old places, and memorize these new ones. I got quite a bit of shopping money from all the gifts, so I gotta spend it all somewhere. Or maybe be a "responsible adult" and save it, nah, that doesn't sound fun at all.

"Alright, we're here. They should be closing up shop right about now, so this is the perfect time. I'll wait outside for you." Dad says as he parks the car in a small lot. "Nah, you can just head back home. I have a feeling I may be here for a while, and if things don't work out, I can do a bit of shopping, take a nice walk." I tell him as I open the car door, I'm a bit blindsided by the heat as I leave the cool air conditioned vehicle. "You sure? The city may be dangerous this time of night."

"Really, dad? I'd like to see anyone in this city could even lay a finger on me without getting torched." I say with a smug grin. He looks at me disapprovingly. "That eager to go back to prison again already...?" His grin turns back to a frown. "I'm your dad, let me worry sometimes. Just be safe for me, alright?"

"Understood. See you later tonight. Love ya." I say with an exaggerated 'mwah' kissing noise, before he does the same, if not a bit more exaggerated. "Call me if it goes well, bye." He says, as I close the door, and he speeds off not a moment later.

A minute walk away from the parking lot reveals my destination, and a source of much nervousness.

Second thing on the agenda.

Right between a purse store, and a pizza restaurant, is the location of a now famous bakery, the start of a chain known for its quality all around the country, "Muffet's Spider Bakery." The overhead has a nice striped pink and purple design, for those wanting to eat their goods outside. The logo depicts a cutesie spider nomming on a pink spiderweb designed doughnut. The window has all sorts of information, like the daily menu, hours, and even a special charity sale that was in support of my dad and his trip to Canada, and there's another thing posted over it that's planning a celebration day with free sweets for the passing of equal rights.

Through the window, I see them both, as they clean up the shop.

The titular Muffet, and her daughter, Charlotte.

I'm almost stunned as I look at them. Muffet has always been a good looking older woman, and she's hardly aged at all, but I'm more distracted by her daughter. She was cute as a kid, maybe even a bit pudgy, but she looks gorgeous now, her translucent magenta skin refracting the dim light of the bakery, giving her an almost heavenly appearance. I have to pick up my jaw from the ground, and head for the door, only to see their closing in five minutes, so I'm not too late. They both wear these cute matching pink frilly, but subdued maid outfits with aprons, very perfect for this kind of place.

I'm so nervous, my heart is beating out of my chest.

I don't know if they even know I'm alive, or if they do, they definitely don't know I'm out of prison, or even a sanitarium.

I specifically requested Dad not tell Muffet about me, not wanting Charlotte to know, I was so afraid of her being scared of me, never wanting to see me again. She had apparently tried to get into contact with my dad a few times to see how he was holding up, but she was overworked for quite a long time after her husband died, something even I knew back in the day.

Maybe it was a bad move... but... I just don't want to lose that friend, I wanted to see her again when I was right of mind and free, but will I just be ancient history to her? An old creepy relic of her childhood?

Only one way to find out. My shaky hands open the door, a small chime sounding out as I enter.

"Charlotte dearie, could you fetch me some more cleaning solution upstairs? Thank you~" Muffet looks towards the front counter as Charlotte cleans some stuff out of the sparse display cabinets.

"Okay mom." Charlotte rushes upstairs through a door behind the counter, neither of them having payed me mind yet.

As soon as I think that, Muffet puts her rag down, and faces me. "Sorry dearie, we're just closing for the night, but we'll be open early tomorrow morning." Muffet turns around and addresses me with a small bow, her many eyes closed in a formal matter, she either hasn't recognized me, which I doubt, or hasn't really looked at me.

"I'm not here for a snack." I say nervously, failing to keep my cool, my hands in my pockets.

Her many eyes actually look at me, and after a small moment as I smile at her, she recognizes me.

She looks at me with this blank stare, walking towards me slowly. "Ash? Is that _you_?" She asks, and smiles. "I can't believe its you." She mutters. "I thought you were in an asylum, _what happened_?" She sounds excited, and confused at the same time.

"I just got out of prison yesterday, I've been sane for ten years." I admit, looking away from her. "I-" I start to say, before she cuts me off with a sharp hug.

"I'm so glad to see you again!" She gushes, before breaking off, giddy to pull out a chair and offer it to me. "You too!" I say, surprised.

"You've been through a lot, haven't you?" She asks, looking over me.

"I have..." I say, relieved she doesn't seem to be afraid of me.

"Sit down, I'm sure you have a lot of things to say." She pulls a chair out from under the table she was cleaning, gesturing for me to do the same, before picking up the rag to blow her small nose.

"It looks like you've been real busy too." I say, looking around the bakery, its very well decorated, and clean. "Your pastries get any better?" I ask with a small grin.

"Every day, sweetie!" She says with a tilt of her head, before getting closer to me and whispering "they would be _even_ better if I could still put spiders in the batter, but _noooo,_ that's a _'health violation.'_ " She says, using her many hands to make many air quotes. We both laugh for a few moments, before the air is clear.

"If... you don't want me around your daughter, I understand." I fess up, making sure to make it clear.

"That's up to her, not me. She's an adult now, just like you..." She seems to have calmed down a bit, looking at me with a small smile, as I fidget with my leg under the table. "You're very nervous, aren't you?"

"Charlotte was my only friend as a kid, the thought of seeing her again kept me going for a long time." I tell her honestly, looking down at my legs.

We share a moment of silence, before hearing a loud clang upstairs.

"That girl is so clumsy... would you mind going upstairs to help her clean up? I'm sure it would be a nice surprise for her." Muffet asks me, taking me a bit off guard. "What if I scare her?" I ask, afraid.

"I doubt you will. Now hurry up dearie, I still have work that needs to be done."

I get up, and slowly walk to behind the counter, to go to the stairs Charlotte went up.

"Ash, dear?" I hear Muffet stop me. I turn my head around to face her, her smile has faded making me worried.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when I should have been. You needed support more then ever, but I was scared of you. I regret that greatly now. I hope you can forgive me." She offers a sincere apology, my smile returns. "I understand, but thanks. I forgive you." I say, glad at her honesty. "Now shoo, go help your friend!" She grins again and gestures with her hands. I turn back around, and head up the stairs, still hearing rustling upstairs.

My heart feels like a drum set right now, what will she think? That I'm a serial killer? A criminal? A freak...?

The staircase is tight, leading to a cramped upstairs storage room, there's all sorts of fridges up here, alongside a whole crap-ton of flour, bread, and other similar things. I hear grumbling coming from the back as I slowly approach, like there's a beast that would kill me if I make a single noise with my feet.

Soon enough, I see her back, as she's on her knees cleaning up all sorts of supplies she must have knocked over.

I feel like a creep looking at her from behind like this, I keep wanting to say something, but the words keep getting stuck in my throat. What do I do? I feel like I just want to leave...

Come on, just say something...

"Hi." I say the most anticlimactic greeting ever.

This seems to get her to jump and let out a yelp, which almost crushes my heart before I realize its not directed at me, just an action I made.

"Who is-" She turns her head around to look at me, and is almost immediately stunned.

"Its good to see you again..." I say nervously, as I swallow deeply.

She slowly gets up, and looks me over, before moving one of her hands up, and caressing my cheek, and moving up to my horns, before back down to my chin.

"Its really you..." Charlotte says, flabbergasted.

I start to say something again, but she doesn't let me finish before tackling me to the ground with a hug that could only run in her family.

* * *

I had a much better sleep last night.

I ended up staying with Charlotte and her mother for a few hours, discussing what had happened in our lives since the last time we had met. Charlotte actually started talking swimming really seriously, and wants to pursue it on a professional when she has the ability too, maybe in a few decades when Monsters aren't as rare a sight around the world. There will be obstacles, but its something she really loves, and its thanks to me, I suppose. Until then, she'll just help her mom around the shop, something she seems to love as well.

I'm envious, she has the next century of her life planned out, while the furthest I've thought is what I want for dinner tonight. Well, if there's a bright side to any of this, its that I know she doesn't want kids either.

I asked her if she was willing to be the one to teach me how to swim this time, seeing as I have basically forgotten how to. It would also be good for me to get a bit of exercise, seeing as I've gotten basically none of it. I _should_ be pretty ripped right now with all that physical labor I did, but no, I cheesed basically all of it by using strength magic, and no ones the wiser.

She was more then glad too, she also said she'd show me around the new places in the city a bit too. Sounds like a date to me, hopefully she'll think of it the same way, but even if she doesn't... I'd be okay just to know I have my old best friend again.

After breakfast I'm ready to head out, today's a bit more of a tough task, but its the most important one on the list.

"So whats the last thing you wanted to do today?" My father asks me as I tie my shoes in the living room.

"I have to do something in the underground." I say, spiffing a small scuff out of my left shoe.

I hear a sharp breath. "NO." I look up at him, crossing his arms. "You risk so much by doing that, what is there down there worth that risk?" I'm not risking anything, but that's a big bag of worms I'm not getting into with him, I'm sure he would try to get me readmitted into the sanitarium if I told him anything about resets and loading.

But what do I say? I would prefer not to have to sneak out of the house, or reset and lie to him...

Might as well tell him, I'll be coming back with him later today.

"There's someone down there waiting for me." I tell him, while making sure my backpack is ready. Bought a nice high quality canvas one in the city the other night on the way home.

"How? What do you mean?" Dad curves his head to try to look at me.

"Back when I was down there, I had help, they're the reason I'm still alive right now." I tell him the truth. "He knew Frisk, and everyone from back and the day, but chose to stay behind for his own reasons. He said he would wait for me to do what I needed to do on the surface before I came back for him. I'm going to get him, and come back. No one will find out, trust me on this."

He stares at me, obviously really mad.

"I made a promise to him, I need to go back, this isn't a yes or no option. I'm going, and you can't stop me." I start to be stern with him too, as I approach the door.

"You better come back, better not be found, and show me why this guy is worth risking your life for."

I smile, not expecting him to relent. "I will, I will, and I hope I can."

"If he asks to marry you, say no." He tells me in a tone where I can't decipher if its sarcasm or not.

"Hah. He's a two hundred year old flower, I doubt it he'll ask me for anything other then some dirt and water." I laugh and tell him, being careful not to say he's related to me.

He laughs a bit too, before telling me "please be careful, and call me if anything goes wrong..." in his nervous voice again.

* * *

The mountain ranges of Ebott are as lush and alive as always. The sounds of nature surround me as I try to remember my path I took on that insane night oh so long ago. Its hot enough out that I have to curl up the long sleeves of my shirt, before giving myself a bit of an icy blast to the face.

I have everything ready for Flowey, I made a spot in our garden yesterday to hang out, a chess board so we can play again, and I even got a bunch of flower pots from grandpa to put around the house. I can't wait to introduce him to everyone, today is going to be amazing! I'm giddy with excitement as I take my hike.

After a fair amount of hiking around, I finally find the hole in the mountain I'm looking for, it helped to remember the west side of of the mountain is where the exit is, or maybe it doesn't, I don't know. I think I just got lucky. A look into the cave reveals it is in fact, the place, with some help from a fiery hand.

Its way darker then it should be this time of day, because its going to rain _real_ bad, so its probably pretty good that I'm going inside the mountain now, and not have to hike around and get soaked. My footsteps echo immediately after I enter the cavern, as I make sure to keep careful footing, stepping over a vine that I'm almost sure I tripped over the last time. A cursory glance around the hole makes me remember just how steep it is, as I drop a small fireball in. I don't even see it hit the bottom, god, how is this place still not fenced off? You would think after I escaped into forest last time, they would have found this place. Geez...

Its been a while since I've featherfooted, so hopefully I don't mess this up. Not that it matters, I could dive in with my forehead sandwiched between two cinder blocks and probably still make a ten point landing, knowing the underground and its almost lax view on gravity.

I'm about to jump in before I think...

I quickly walk outside the cave again as I hear thunder starting to brew in the clouds. I take out my new phone from my pocket and dial my dad. "Hello? Ash? Are you done?"

"No, I just found the entrance, I'm going to destroy it so no one can enter in this way again, so I may not be home till late tonight, maybe tommorow morning. I'll call you then, alright?"

"What if you need to eat?"

"I can make my own food, remember?"

"Sorry... I'll see you then, I hope your friend is very grateful of you. Love you, stay safe."

"Love you to dad, I will." I hang up, and put the phone back in my pocket, before walking back into the cave, and readying particularly nasty fireballs, and training my hands over the caves entrance. I'm probably going to have to jump into the hole right after I blow the ceiling, but there should be enough room in here that it won't cave the entire ceiling in on me.

I focus deeply, calling on my strange foresight to assure me it won't go wrong...

I'm clear, bombs away!

I fire the two small explosive flares into the ceiling, and sure enough, it caves a large amount of rubble into the entrance way, making sure there won't ever be another idiot kid to fall down here. Probably a stupid idea to not close my mouth though, as I get a fair amount of dust into my mouth, causing me to cough a fair deal.

After I recover, its time to fall again.

* * *

I fall for what feels like minutes, holy crap, this was a lot deeper in than I would have thought. I almost think I'm just losing my mind, but I take my phone out of my pocket, and the clock says its been twelve minutes since I called dad. Maybe I'm just falling way too slowly?

I'm left alone with my thoughts, as I wonder if Flowey has done anything these past ten years... ten whole years, well, almost, its been nine years and eight months since I've seen him last. He may not even recognize me! Eh...

After a few minutes, I start to see the ground beneath me come into focus, yellow focus. I forgot how many flowers there were down here... I remember Flowey explained how they all got here, really morbid stuff... A bunch of them are wilting around the corners though, maybe its just this time of year? That doesn't sound right, hmm...

I try to land as far away from the center of the patch as possible, gaining solid ground again closer to where Flowey should be, not wanting to trample on that grave again, no ignorance this time. The hall here is so short, and basically unnecessary, only serving to add suspense.

The walk around the corner is exciting, I hope I won't have to look for him, I hope he's just right here...

In the center of a small, dirt patch in the center of the room, is a yellow flower, its face looking towards the ground.

"Asriel? Asriel?" I start saying as I approach him, kneeling down in front of him. "Its time to wake up, I'm back."

He doesn't budge.

"Asriel? Come on, its time to go."

…

Jeez, he's sleeping deeply...

I plop down onto my butt, waiting for him to stir.

"I can wait here all day." I say to the room, crossing my arms as I watch him.

…

No... is...

Is he...?

My doubts are quashed as Flowey twitches suddenly.

Of course, as soon as I start to worry! What a jerk!

I let him wake up, becoming his usual stiff self. "Rise and shine." I say to him, my voice dripping in sarcastic happiness.

He turns towards me, looking the exact same as the day I left him.

Flowey stares at me for a moment "oh."

"I thought you woulda been happier to see me." I pout. "How long has it been?" He asks as he eyes me up. "A decade, I had to spend a lot of time in prison, sorry I took so long..."

"You've grown a lot." Flowey remarks the obvious. He must be really tired, how long has he been sleeping?

"Here" I say, fetching a flower pot from my backpack, taking a bag off of it, keeping a bunch of nice soil I packed in before I left. "We can walk and talk. I destroyed the entrance in, so we'll need to exit out New Home." I tell him, gesturing towards the pot.

"Alright..." He says, before uprooting himself, and crawling into the pot. "Ash?" Flowey actually says my name after a moment on my back. "Yeah?" I ask as we start our trek into the ruins.

"...Nevermind, lets just go." Flowey states, obviously distraught.

* * *

The underground is a lot smaller then I remember, maybe because there's no pressure or obstacles. Its just a straight shot to the end. The blizzards of Snowdin meant nothing to my matured fire magic, the mimics of the beautiful Waterfall are no more, and we don't have to trek to the core this time, so we're already back in New Home, only hours after starting. No experiences, only a trip down memory lane, in a world that's just as dead as last time.

This kind of reverence for my first experiences down here, though I knew wasn't going to be nearly as interested this time around, still has me feeling let down. I remember being quite scared if this place in the weeks I spent with Flowey, but that fear evaporated right away after I knew what was causing it in Wing. Its hard to be scared by something you understand.

New Home is very nostalgic to me, I have fond memories of my time I spent with Flowey here. Looking back, it was the last time I truly got to be a kid.

"We had a lot of fun here, didn't we?" I pan my head slightly back to speak to Flowey, he seems motionless on my back. "...Yeah." He responds, still sounding like a wet towel.

"Are you gonna be mopey like this all day? Come on, you're gonna get to see your parents again, and meet your brother!" I say, a bit confused and frustrated. He's been giving me the cold shoulder the entire walk, its like I'm talking at him rather than with him.

"I'm happy, I'm just... tired." He's lying, somethings off...

"If you say so." I shake my head, a small scowl he can't see on my face.

My shoes tap and tap as we walk through the the many streets and corridors of the city. I took the scenic route, as this will probably be the last time I'll see this place. Maybe I should take a few pictures...

I take a small detour, so I can get a good view of the castle. I ditch the backpack, and take Floweys pot out of the backpack. "What're you doing?" Flowey looks up to me with a tired, and confused look.

"I'm taking a picture, I want to have at least one of this place before we leave for good." I say, already regretting not taking a few pictures of Waterfall, place is _gorgeous,_ I had had good dreams about the place for a long time, I'm glad to see it's held up.

"Okay." Flowey says, keeping his deadpan visage.

After opening up my camera application on my phone, I use kinesis to keep it suspended off the ground, as I get into place with him for a good photo. "We're gonna be in it?" He asks as I hold his pot under my hand above my stomach, almost like he's a trophy I'm displaying. "Yeah, it'll be a good memory, one of many. Smile, alright?"

After a moment, I take the picture, almost sure the angle is just right. I guide the phone back to my hand, and take a look at the screen, Flowey peering up to see the screen as well.

"Its perfect." I say, looking it over. We're both center frame, with the castle towering behind us just right. I've never been super photogenic, my mugshot was so damn ugly, but I look fairly good in this too. Its also good to see Flowey listened, he's smiling in the photo, a good, _genuine_ smile. "It looks good." Flowey says, his depressing tone returns, betraying his photogenic grin.

* * *

Its a quiet walk through the rest of the city, as we arrive back in the old royal house, then through the stained glass corridor, then into the throne room, who's flowers have all unfortunately wilted away.

I start to see the light of the outside at the very end of the tunnel, the exit of the underground. Our first farewell was in this very room, I think back on it... He was acting the same way...

"Asriel... the last time you were here, you asked for a favor? What was it?" I ask him, stopping, letting the warm breeze reinvigorate me. "It was nothing important, lets just go."

"Just tell me then." I ask, annoyed by his impertinent gloomy nature.

"I'm telling you, its not important."

"If its not important, tell me."

"No, lets just _go._ "

I grit my hands, and scoff.

"Whats your problem today? I could accept you being cranky the first little while today, but you've been insufferable the entire day. If you have an issue, just tell me, alright?" I'm mad, but I'm worried about him.

He responds with silence.

I sit down, take off the backpack, and cross my arms as he faces me. "We're not leaving till you tell me." I stare daggers at him.

He stares at me in silence, his uninterested, and distant look remains the same.

I try to think... did something happen to him? Or does he not want to come up? That doesn't make any sense, he always said being alone sucked... so is he just being moody? Maybe its that he doesn't want to go the surface and see his old family again? It may be painful...

"Why don't you want to come up to the surface? That's why you're feeling bad, right?" I ask, fairly confident I've discerned the reason. His stare at me falters a bit, as he looks to the left of me for a moment. Gotcha.

The silence continues for what feels like hours, as I plan to outlast him. Come on, I want us to be home for dinner... what do I say? Just be honest...

"I care about you, you know that, right? I've thought about you every single day for the last decade, waiting for my chance to come back and see you again, but this isn't you. There's something wrong, so just _tell me."_ I continue to stare daggers at him, but they are soft, fluffy daggers.

"I don't want to ruin today for you." He grumbles, closing his eyes. "Try me. If we don't take care of this now, its only gonna be a problem tomorrow, or the day after. Lets get it out of the way and start fresh."

His silence returns, but with a frown this time.

"I'll tell you that favor I want, but... you have to promise me, if I ask you it, you have to do it." Flowey asks me, a twinge of hurt lines the request.

"Okay." I say nonchalantly, happy for progress.

"Are you sure? Its a... _very_ selfish request. _Promise me_."

I pause for a moment.

"I promise. What do you want me to do?" I scooch up a bit closer to him, a smile on my face.

He looks at me with a very hurt expression, his mouth hung open. Like he's trying to say something, but can't get it out. "I..." His voice trails off, as he closes his eyes.

"I want you to kill me."

It takes a moment for his words to register in my mind, but I still don't understand.

"W-what?" I ask stunned, my smile obliterated.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I can't do this." He almost wilts up, his petals covering his face. "I can't go on."

"Why?! Why do you want to die?" I ask in disbelief, shouting at him.

"I've wanted to die every day of my life since I was reborn as a flower. I'm not allowed to be myself, I'm just a _husk_. I have vivid nightmares every single night, and then I wake up and I'm forced to fall back asleep. I've lived almost two centuries of this _hell_ , but I'm too weak to kill myself." His voice sounds like he's going to break down, but its just distant, and overloaded with guilt.

"I'm so scared, Ash... What happens to something that dies with no soul? Is there an afterlife? Do you have to have a soul to go there? If that's the case, _what happens to me?_ Is the hell I live now worse than the hell that would be? Infinite blackness? That fear is what kept me going for so long, but I can't do it anymore." He starts to shake, almost erratically as I look in shock.

"I can't go back up there and see them, I can't keep living a life I'm not allowed to care about. If I could have my ability to feel back right now, I would have no issue with going up, but that will _never_ happen... I'm so sorry."

I try to find words, but I'm choked up.

"I have nothing left anymore. No feeling, no friends, no goal, no _purpose_. Nothing, _except for you._ You're the only one who can do this for me. Please Ash."

I finally speak up. "Why me? Why do I have to shoulder this? _I don't want to kill you._ " I say, swallowing my throat, my confidence gone, as I shake. "You aren't killing me, you're just pulling the plug. I've been dead for centuries, I'm only a ghost that can't move on."

"I can't do this!" I say closing my eyes, holding back tears the best I can, but its no good.

"Please... free me from this prison. I know you can understand that. Let me be free, I'm... _scared_ of whats out there, but I can't keep lying to myself. But I need help, _your help._ " I grit my teeth as I stare at him. He's right, I understand him.

I scream in frustration, and throw the empty backpack across the room with great anger.

"I'll do it." I force out between my teeth.

He forms a nervous smile, as he crawls out of his pot, and into worms his way into my hand.

"Don't dwell on the past, even though you can, this will always end this way. You're so strong, you can move past this. " He says, reminding me of the story he told me about Frisk, and how many times she tried to save him and failed. Its the same... "I understand." I say, tears streaming down my face.

He forms many vines, and constricts them around my arms, forcing me to grip him strongly.

I can't say any words, even as he looks up at me with a sad smile.

"Come on Ash, frowns don't look good on you."

"I'll smile when I'm done with this all." I say, keeping my frown. I keep trying to summon the fire in my hands, but I can't force myself too.

"Ash... That's your name right? Not a lie?" He looks up with me still, the happiest I've ever seen him, even though I stain his vines with tears.

"Ashley... Its short for Ashley... I hate that name..." I say, choked up beyond belief, but trying to savor my final words with him.

"I understand why, thanks for telling me though." He doesn't rush me, his vines stay the same, he understands how hard this is.

"Come on, you can do this. You've done harder." Asriel says. "No... this is the hardest thing I've ever done, because I don't want to do it." I reject his compliment, but he doesn't mind.

Asriels face morphs from his usual featureless face, to one that resembles something... something like a young, happy Boss Monster. "You're so much like Frisk, I hope I get to see her again now. And that I'll see you again, some day, as myself, the real me. This is the closest I can get to that." His voice is different too, younger, and softer. Innocent, though I know its just an imitation.

I hiccup, his words destroying me. "I-I hope you can too. Say hi to everyone for me." I ask him, finally getting ready to end it. "Will do." He says, before I take my hand and put it close to my heart, hugging him for the last time, as he constricts me with vines, locking us in this last embrace.

A few moments of silence, before the feeling of fire starts to take over my hands. Its weak, but its the most I can do, I hope... its not painful. "I love you Ash, I truly do. Thank you so much." I hear over the crackles of fire, as I refuse to look at him burning away in my embrace. "G-Goodbye..." I hear his final words, before Asriel Dreemurr is no more.

I'm left alone in the room, in an embrace with nothing.

I came here for a friend, but I leave with a fist full of dust.

* * *

New Providence Cemetery.

Plains of white teeth, each one commemorating a fallen person. A family member, a friend, to someone. Filled by the war of the last century, its gigantic, and easy to lose yourself in.

The dark green grass is slick, a rainstorm pelting the graveyard with the tears of god, but a few of mine mix in. I know what I'm looking for, and I know where it is. I'm laden with sweat, tears, and my hands bloody, as my nails dig into my hand, refusing to let go of my fist.

The torrential downfall weighs heavy on my heart, but the rain can't wash the blood and dust off these hands, I won't allow it. I need to make it there, to my final suffering.

In the very corner of the cemetery, the farthest part of the cemetery from its entrance, lies the respects of those who I seek.

Eight soaked and disrespected graves lined side to side, all of people I once knew, but never really. How I would have loved to meet these people again, with the knowledge I have now.

The dead and the dust here isn't allowed their rest in peace it seems, graffiti a blemish on every tombstone. Racist terms, insults, and poor illustrations. I would have been furious about this another day, but its not why I'm here.

I read the graves, even with the difficulty the downpour provides, as I grip my fist close to my heart, its place hasn't moved an inch.

* * *

 _ **HERE LIES THE REMEMBRANCE OF SANS**_

 _ **A lazy Monster who brought smiles to so many faces with his infectious sarcasm and dry humor, who was robbed from us far too early.**_

 _ **XXXX-2159**_

* * *

 _ **HERE LIES THE REMEMBRANCE OF PAPYRUS**_

 _ **A endlessly cheerful and optimistic Monster who brought so many smiles with his kindness, who was robbed from us far too early.**_

 _ **XXXX-2159**_

* * *

 _ **HERE LIES THE REMEMBRANCE OF UNDYNE**_

 _ **Loving wife to Alphys, and mother to Zelda.**_

 _ **A strong Monster who inspired so many with her bravery in the face of defeat, who was robbed from us far too early.**_

 _ **2088-2159**_

* * *

 **HERE LIES THE REMEMBRANCE OF ALPHYS**

 **Loving wife to Undyne, and mother to Zelda.**

 **A brilliant Monster who furthered the progress of us all in her pursuit of science, who** **was robbed from us far too early.**

 **2090-2159**

* * *

 **HERE LIES THE REMEMBRANCE OF ZELDA**

 **A young, smart, and brave Monster loved dearly as a daughter of her community, who was robbed from us far, _far_ too early.**

 **2150-2159**

* * *

 **HERE LIES THE REMEMBRANCE OF EZIKEL "MK" DALLORA DELTA THE 4th**

 **A clumsy, and tardy Monster who nevertheless worked tirelessly to help the relations of Humans and Monsters, who was robbed from us far too early.**

 **2104-2159**

* * *

 **HERE LIES THE REMEMBRANCE OF QUILL**

 **Loving husband to Muffet, and father to Charlotte.**

 **A caring Monster, who worked tirelessly to help the relations of humans and monsters, who was robbed from us far too early.**

 **2102-2159**

* * *

Lastly, while all the graves here are adorned with wilted flowers of many species, the last one here seems to have all sorts of respects payed to it, but its the same as all the others, a small, square, white slab of marbled stone.

I take a deep breath, the feeling of blood in my palm reminds me of the pain coming from my clenched fists.

* * *

 **HERE LIES GABBY "FRISK" EISANWALD DREEMURR**

 **A kind, compassionate Human who gave everything she ever had for Monster-kind.**

 **She, and all of her friends that died with her in the Paris massacre will be remembered as** **heroes. May the memories of them all pave the way for a brighter future, with Humans and Monsters both walking hand in hand.**

 **2101-2159**

* * *

Frisk... I almost choke up as I read her epitaph, but I can't tell if I'm crying with all the rain.

I stand up, and finally let go.

The dust of Asriel Dreemurr spreads on the ground where Frisk is buried. I hope this is what he would have wanted, no, this _is_ what he wanted. To be with Frisk in the afterlife. This way, I can make _sure_ that last wish happens.

The wounds on my palms sting, my nails finally dug out of them.

I'm not done here.

I conjure a sharp, blue knife in my palm, disregarding the pain of my wounds.

I kneel on the ground of Frisks death, after I know Asriels dust has settled into the dirt and grass. Will any more of my friends die here one day? I'm sure this is where Asgore and Toriel will want to be buried, or have their dust spread here. Muffet and Charlotte probably will too, and so will I. But its not about me today, its about Asriel, the ninth to fall here.

I grip the tool with vigor, slowly bringing it to the blank section of her grave, under the respects. As I begin to etch into her grave, my mind begins to wander back to that fateful day. The day I fell into Ebott...

No.

No more dwelling on the past. I've done enough of that.

A long time passes, as I delicately engrave writing, making absolutely sure not to mess anything up. Its difficult with the rain, but I've done it.

I stand up, and look at my work.

* * *

 **HERE LIES GABBY "FRISK" EISANWALD DREEMURR**

 **A kind, compassionate Human who gave everything she ever had for Monster-kind.**

 **She, and all of her friends that died with her in the Paris massacre will be remembered as** **heroes. May the memories of them all pave the way for a brighter future, with Humans and Monsters both walking hand in hand.**

 ** _2101-2159_**

 ** _HERE ALSO LIES THE REMAINS OF FLOWEY_**

 ** _A endlessly strong Monster who gave his entire being, and many life times of torment and pain, as a gift to all of Monster-kind._**

 ** _His sacrifice unknown to all, he will never to be respected as the hero he was, which is as unfair as the life he lived._**

 ** _Rest In Peace._**

 ** _200X-2173_**

* * *

I sigh, not knowing where to go from here.

The last order of business here is cleaning the graffiti, and while I do so the rain stops, the last sunlight of the day still shining, sunset still a little while off. A rainbow starts to flourish, beauty stemming from sadness of the rainstorm...

I look back to the graves, knowing I'll visit them again.

Its time to go home, everyone's waiting for me.

And thus, the saddest day of my life ends, as I smile, and move on.


	16. Epilogue - Dearly Departed

THE NINTH FALL – Epilogue "Dearly Departed."

* * *

 **-2213-**

 **-Forty Years Later-**

* * *

 _A dingy, crusty old basement._

 _Old men and women abuse me._

 _I scream in protest, but it does me no good._

 _I cry for my family, for my friends, but no one comes to my aid._

 _Exploited and punished for hours._

 _I feel something shake at me, calling my name._

* * *

"Ash!" I'm shaken awake. The feeling of the invasive touch causes me to lash out in my daze. "GET THE HELL OFF ME!" I shout and swing at the presence over me, as I scrabble to the corner of the bed, my head drenched in sweat.

"Eeek!" The woman next to me falls back off the bed as she yelps in surprise.

I hyper ventilate, my eyes dart around the room, and I realize I was just dreaming, or in this case, having a nightmare. I rush off the bed to pick her up, offering my hand.

"I'm so sorry!" I apologize profusely, as she takes my hand, and I help her back up, and she gingerly lays back, rubbing the back of her head.

"Its alright... it happens." My wife, Charlotte Dreemurr says. "No, its not alright. I could have really hurt you." I sulk, scooching up a bit closer to her, taking one of her right hands into mine, her skin as smooth as silk. "You can't control your past, Ash. I know what I sign up for when I try to shake you awake, and its worth the risk for me, if I know it will get you out of there even a second earlier."

"Thanks..." I say, looking away from her with a blush.

I want to say I've moved past the days of my imprisoned years, but that would be false bravado. At least once every month, I have vivid nightmares of Gregory and his friends. On occasion, I'll have a nightmare about being trapped in the sanitarium with the voices, the undergrounds strange creations, Wing's use of my body, or the nightmares I had back in prison, where'd I'd get out and everyone hated me.

I can't escape my past, I'm not allowed too. My wife, my _love_ can't even touch me in my vulnerable areas without me flinching, or my body locking up in a spasm. I always thought that would go away, but it never has. I just have to live with this. But she doesn't care, she still loves me the same regardless, even thought its hard for us to be intimate sometimes...

We got married a mere two years after I had got out of prison, but we dated almost immediately after I got out, we couldn't swim together without staring at each other like teenagers, hah. She's been able to pursue swimming like she always wanted too, even her species not being a concern, seeing as she luckily isn't just better because shes a Monster, still being neck and neck with Human professionals. She dreams of playing in the Olympics one day, hoping to be the first Monster to play in one.

As for me, I started working for Second Chances, the organization my old caretaker Melanie worked for. That amazing woman passed away many years ago, unfortunately, but not before she mentored me for the position. Honestly, I hate dealing with kids, but... its fulfilling to help people who may have gotten a really unfair shot at life. I work with a lot of teenagers who've suffered sexual abuse, and any Monsters the organization takes in, seeing as I'm the only one of them working there. Its... helped me so much, to empathize with people better.

Every person has suffered before, but you don't know exactly what, why, or how. You may never know, but its important to know, and to understand. Its changed my outlook on so many of the people I just brushed off in the course of my life. I didn't try to understand them as much as I should have. Maybe they just needed a bit more of that care in their life. All it could take, is just a few kind words to save a life, even if you'll never know it...

We have a quaint little house in the Monster neighborhood, a lovely two story home furnished with all sorts of stuff. After we wake up, and do our daily hygienic rituals, we relax for a bit. Today is both a day off for both of us, and a yearly thing we do with our family.

I decide to walk around my house while my wife is watching a bit of television. In our room, on our shared shelf, is a few of my possessions, and hers. She has a bunch of medals and small trinkets, most of them being gifts from me. In the middle, we have both of our robes and tiaras, Charlotte having a set made for her after she got engaged to me. While the robes are the same, other than hers being a bit smaller and having an extra two arms, her tiara is a bit different. She was, and still is giddy to be able to be called a princess, even though she kind of has to keep it a secret.

My journal from my imprisoned years is here, its well protected, and locked, seeing how sensitive the information inside is. Charlotte... knows everything now. Everything that happened to me, with the exception of the majority of what happened with Wing, something I still have to keep close to my heart, I won't curse anyone else with that knowledge. But everything else, she knows. Asriel, the mimics, my magical abilities, everything. She's my wife, my other half, she deserves to know everything, and she's never doubted any of it. I've told dad about Asriel too, something he was very surprised to learn, but he's still in the dark about Wing.

Probably my most prized possession, other then the phenomenally well made clothing I still wear weekly he made me, is a frame picture of me, and Asriel in New Home. I was so glad I took that picture, its the only photo I think even exists of him, and its a cherished memory. I could spend hours looking at this photo, and I have before.

I don't know why, but dad, grandpa, and grandma didn't question my engraving of Flowey's respects on Frisk's grave, something I thought I was gonna get a _lot_ of shit for. I'm constantly surprised by how much my family believes in what I say, or do. They said "If he was that important, and really cared for Frisk that much, then you did the right thing."

Everything is... just good now.

Dad is still kicking, and working on Human-Monster relations as an advisor for a new generation of ambassadors. There's still a lot of issues on the relations front, but it gets better every year. By the turn of the century, dad hopes Monsters can travel to any country in the world without having to fear for their lives.

Grandpa and Grandma are still fine too. They don't have to worry about kicking the bucket unless they have another kid, something they have been considering, but they are just happy with the lives they live. I thought they may have been mad at me, for not wanting to continue the bloodline, but they aren't. They respect that I don't want kids, and I love that about them.

Muffet, my step mother, has really taken to the role. She just feels like the mother that's been absent from my life for oh so long. She's as busy as ever, seeing how successful her business has been. She's the one who bought us our house as a wedding gift, something she assured us was worth it to her, and didn't put a dent in her finances at all, which I completely believe. She's friggin loaded, she makes donations to my organization anonymously all the time, and of big amounts too. From someone who apparently has the stigma of being stingy, she's quite charitable, and very nice. Just like the real Mother I've always wanted.

But speaking of that... I've been in contact with Kassandra, or, my old mom. I was able to hunt her down after years of looking, she was working as an emergency medic in Scotland at the time. She's old now, over eighty, living with her new husband in her new Scottish home. I... try my best not to be mad at her, respecting her decision, as damaging to my feelings as its been.

She was scared to hear from me again, and with good reason. But I reached out, and just said I wanted to talk to my mother again, and she complied. Now, I visit her every now and then, make sure shes holding up well. Its so strange, my mother is old, and is rapidly approaching death of old age, while I still look like I turned twenty yesterday, even though I'm sixty-four. I want to say that my interactions with my mother are happy, but they are bitter sweet. I can't tell if she feels guilty about me, or if just doesn't like me, and she won't open up and tell me. I really hope we can get one good, honest conversation in before she croaks...

I sigh, leaving my possessions. Charlotte is about to call me down at any moment.

I can feel it, how it grows with every year. The power Wing told me about.

Its getting hard to control, I just know when things are going to happen, I get the nagging feeling in my gut, and it just _happens_. Things are just predictable, not that its a bad thing, its quite useful, and kind of invalidates my power of reset, a power I know I still possess. I've had one or two accidents that I needed to undo, and I was able to, I also check every now and then, just to be sure. I wonder if the power will ever be taken from me, but I somehow doubt it.

This world is fiction, right? Sub-fiction, or whatever Wing called it. I think about it every now and then, even though it'll probably give me an existential crisis eventually. If this place is fiction, does anything I do matter, is it all predetermined by the creator of this world? What kind of god are they? Are they even one? Beings that watch this place, as entertainment, according to Wing. I wasn't sure he was right at first, but I'm pretty sure he was.

After all, you're here, right?

 _You_ , right there.

I've had this nagging feeling in my gut, that something was watching me, since I've woken up. I thought, maybe its Wing again? But no, I know its _you_ again.

So I gave you a little... update on my life for the last few decades. Because I have a feeling that this is the last time you'll be following me. Just a gut feeling...

I've tried, for the last many years, to try and understand Wing's words, and if they were even accurate. Is there someone even watching me right now, or am I just suffering placebo effect from their damn cursed words.

That part was accurate, that its a curse, and this curse has its proofs. My foresight, my ability to read minds. Life's almost predictable these days, thankfully not boring yet, but some days are just a slog when it feels like I've already done them before I've even experienced them yet. I often get lost in thought, thinking about the world, and what lies beyond it.

Was Wing's residence really a place beyond this world, or is that place a fabrication too? A fake showing at whats beyond? Just how deep does the rabbit hole go...?

Does it ultimately matter for me?

Just like with other things, its easy for me to think "I'll just move past it," but its more difficult than that.

I wish I could find out, but I just don't think I should, nor could I.

I don't want to become disillusioned with my life, the life I've worked _so_ hard for.

Do _you_ feel the same?

So many questions for someone that may just be a fabrication of my mind, my daily paranoia. Some moments, I'm sure I'm just imagining it, while others, I'm _sure_ there's someone watching.

If you are there, I want you to know.

I hated you at first.

All the suffering in my life, the pain I've felt, and the things I've lost were because of you.

But I think I've moved past that.

I'm fairly sure you are just a regular person, in whatever world you're in. What god or otherworldly being would want to spectate a life ultimately so mundane, right?

Have you suffered, like I have? What things have you survived? What have you moved on from? What mistakes have you made...?

If you've gone through _anything,_ even remotely similar to what I have, whether it be abuse, violence, loneliness, anxiety, or just sadness, just know you can make it through it. I'm sure there are people that care about you, and people you care about. Even if they, or _you_ don't know it yet.

You're a little bit more real than I am, so its all the more important you know that.

"Ash! Come down!" I hear Charlotte call for me, interrupting me from our invisible conversation. "Coming!" I shout down, as I throw on some clothes. A nice set of dress pants, my favorite red and white shirt, a long black coat, and a matching scarf. My good shoes are downstairs, so I'm done up here.

Upon coming downstairs, I see my wife at the foot of the stairs.

"You look good!" She says with an infectious smile. "When don't I?" I smugly say with a shrug. She comes up the stairs, but stops next to me. "...You really need to comb your hair you dummy." She scolds me before licking her fingers and putting a cows lick down. "Thanks..." I say, a bit embarrassed. She's right, I _always_ forget to comb my hair. Gets messy way to easily. She rushes upstairs to get dressed, presumably.

I walk into our quaint living room, and just look outside. Its a nice, early winter day out. It lightly snows, covering the similarly quaint neighborhood in a white, fluffly blanket. I see my reflection too, which is just as pale. Almost white skin, white shoulder length hair, white long horns, the works. The "White Devil", my old nickname from prison, something I was quite fond of, honestly.

This coming Christmas is going to be great, me and Charlotte are going away to Hawaii afterwards for a nice vacation. Its a place shes always wanted to go, and I don't mind indulging her this year. Danger has never been a concern, as I can always load if something particularly nasty happens, even though nothing should. Its easy to worry, because I don't ever want to watch Charlotte get hurt, even if its not permanent.

Man, a laid back beach vacation is exactly what I need right now...

"I'm ready!" I hear her come downstairs, her gentle taps on the stairs are adorable. I turn towards her, she's wearing an cute little purple winter coat, with a oversized fluffy hat, and little gloves on her four hands. Endlessly cute, a perfect description for her.

"Lets go." I say with a smile.

* * *

New Providence Cemetery.

As is tradition, we're just a bit late.

The rest of our family is here.

"Hey guys!" I call them as we approach the graves we're here for, they are a bit farther ahead then we are. "Greetings!" Toriel says with a wave back. "Howdy!" Asgore says with jolly energy. "Hey there!" My father joins in the greetings. "Hello dearies~" Muffet greets us with a smile.

We talk as we approach the graves, seeing as we don't spend much time all together, aside from holidays. Which today pretty much is, aside from a few moments of silence at the graves, its a day of celebration, and remembrance, not of mourning, and loss.

Asgore talks about his gardening business, its very quaint, and hardly even sustains itself, but he keeps it alive out of his pocket, seeing as its his hobby. As is his role on this day every year, he's brought many bouquets of flowers.

Toriel talks about her many students, going into details about each one, and what they like. How she manages to remember so many every year is beyond me, but it goes to show you how much a mother she really is. I have to go visit her one of these days, it would be a nice surprise for her, I'm sure.

Gabriel talks about... not his job. Its apparently just been really boring recently, not many interesting developments, but that's a good thing. He's mentoring a new generation, and plans on retiring to pursue a writing career, starting with a biography on his mentor, Frisk. I'll be there to buy the first copy, just to see how much it gets right, and how much I don't know.

Muffet doesn't talk about her job either, preferring to be the catalyst for questions for others. She knows that she talks about herself enough, and often does this to give other people turns, something she definitely had to learn in the last few decades, she can be quite chatty...

Charlotte talks about what we've been doing recently, seeing as I usually don't talk much on these days, preferring to stay silent, and among my own thoughts. I'll talk later when we go out for brunch.

Soon, our group of seven arrive at the graves. Our conversation ends as soon as they come into view.

Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Zelda, Ezikel, Quill, Frisk, and Flowey.

The nine we visit every year.

We put flowers on each grave, except for Frisk's. We pay respects silently to each one, before kneeling at the graves of our dearly departed .

Me, Charlotte and Muffet kneel at Quill's graves and discuss whats happened in our life the last year with him. Me, dad, and the grandparents do the same at Frisk's grave. As always, they stand up before I do, leaving me alone at Frisk's grave.

"Hows it been, ya weed?" I ask, looking at Flowey's respects, and how the lettered engraving is noticeably more weathered then Frisk's. Maybe I'll re-etch it another time. "Things have been good for me..." I say, smiling, but quiet in my words. "I think about you all the time. I just... really hope you're happy, wherever you are. Say hi to everyone for me, alright?" I say, before standing up slowly.

Things... Whether they be people, places, events, or even objects, don't truly die until they are forgotten. They are alive as long as they stay with your thoughts, maybe the true afterlife, is what you want it to be for them.

Letting go is important, but to let go, isn't to forget. Keep what you treasure close to your heart, relive it if you wish, think about it, just as long as you don't let it get in the way of your future. Don't let a good memory, or experience, become a prison for you, as easy as it can be sometimes. The harder you hold on, the harder it gets to let go, and the further you'll fall.

Some things... you can't let go of, because they refuse to let go of you. Learning to deal with that is equally as important, knowing it won't forget you, ever. Coming to peace with the things that have happened to you, isn't always easy, sometimes its just impossible. Its hard, and its unfair, but that's just life, at the end of the day, its how you try to move past that, or how you don't. I don't judge anyone who can't, but I commend those with all of my heart to those who manage to move past those things. Not every prison has a door out... but if you can make your prison confines big enough, it stops feeling like a prison, and starts feeling like a world.

"Goodbye, old friend. Till next year." I bid Flowey farewell, looking upon the grave for the last time today. At the base of the grave, alive against all odds, even in the winter weather, is a single golden flower. It tells me, and assure my heart, that everything's gonna be okay.

The same smile, as we all leave the graves, and move on in our lives, the memory of the departed stays with us, forever. We're all happy, and content.

Even with these memories, and my daily dissonance...

I'm still happy.

And I hope _you_ can be too.

Goodbye, and farewell.

* * *

 _The Ninth Fall_

 _End_


End file.
